Black is the New Beginning
by SNOzzie6
Summary: There's something special about Rylee. How long will it take for her to figure things out? Based off of Pokémon: Black and White with some original events. I only own my OCs.
1. It All Began With Pikachu

"Rylee! It's almost noon! Time to get up!" my mom called from the end of the hallway.

I groaned and pulled the covers over my head as I heard footsteps approaching. The door swung open and I could hear the sound of my mom's foot tapping against the carpet.

"Rylee, you've had enough time to sleep. I need you to go out and get some berries for dessert tonight." mom said.

I peeked out from my blanket and looked up at my mom. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips and her foot continued to tap. Her long, dark teal hair was tied back in a low ponytail with some pieces resting on her forehead and around her face. Her blue eyes were icy with "the mom look" plastered all over her face. She wore a white apron over a light pink t-shirt, blue blazer, and beige trousers.

"Mom, I have all the time to do that." I said. "Just give me five more minutes."

"Five minutes usually turns into five hours." Mom said. "Now get up."

I groaned and threw my blanket back over my head. My mom sighed.

"Minccino..." she said.

Something jumped onto my bed and wiggled its way underneath the covers next to me. The next thing I knew, I felt something soft brushing against my stomach. A laugh burst from my lips as I threw my blanket off of me, revealing a little Minccino tickling me with its tail. I grabbed her and picked her up like a baby in desperate need of a diaper change.

"Really, Mom?" I said.

"Good, you're up." Mom said innocently.

She turned on her heel and walked down the hall. I rolled my eyes and set Minccino back down on the bed. I threw the blanket over her head and changed out of my black shirt and light gray pajama shorts. I put on a purple and white striped t-shirt and black denim shorts. I walked over to my white vanity and stared at myself in the mirror. I took a brush and tamed the beast of medium brown wavy hair that grew from my head and hung past my shoulders. My eyes were the most unusual part of my body. Grass green from a distance, but if you take a closer look, you can see a ring of purple wrapping around the pupil and tiny flecks of purple dotted around the iris.

I walked over to the pink jewelry holder that hung on the wall next to my dresser. Minccino wriggled out from underneath the blanket and trotted over to me. She sat next to me, so close that her soft fur stroked my leg. I reached up slowly and fingered a specific necklace that hung on a hook: a Poké Ball charm that rested on a short silver chain. A familiar but unwanted feeling washed over me as I took the necklace and clipped it on. I touched the charm as it sat against my skin, right above my heart.

Minccino purred, snapping me out of my reverie. I looked down at her and smiled. I offered her my arm and she climbed up it and sat on my shoulder. We walked down the hall, passing my mom as she washed the dishes in the kitchen. I grabbed my foraging bag, a tan over-the-shoulder bag, and headed out the door.

The sun was smiling down on the area as the wind caressed gently against the trees. I walked into the forest. Minccino hopped off of my shoulder and sniffed at a shrub. I touched the trunk of a tree and looked up at its branches, scanning the leaves for hidden berries. Minccino called for my attention and I turned to see her tugging at a bush filled with Sitrus berries.

"Good job, Minccino." I said.

I walked over and crouched down next to Minccino and the bush. I carefully plucked a few berries from the bush. I placed the berries in my foraging bag and slung it back across my body. Minccino and I took a break from scavenging and sat on a branch of a large tree. I looked down the path of the forest, the area I've been so familiar with I could find my way home from the heart of the forest blindfolded. I sighed.

"Minccino..." I said. "Do you think we'll ever get a chance to explore places other than this forest?"

"Cino?" Minccino squeaked and twitched her ears in confusion.

I gripped my bag's handle.

"Mom would think me crazy if I told her about this, so no snitching on me." I chuckled. "But for a while now, I've been having these awesome dreams. I'm traveling all over the Unova region, going town to town and having all these adventures. I meet all of these cool people who I befriend." I felt a blush creep on my cheeks. "I even meet someone."

Minccino nuzzled her cheek against my elbow. She looked at me and chattered in a teasing way.

"But whatever. They're just dreams." I said, shifting my gaze to the open sky above me. A flock of Pidove chirped as they passed over us. "I wonder what it would be like to be those Pidove: flying to new places, seeing amazing sights... If only my dreams were a reality."

I sighed and rested my chin in my hand.

"When I'm older, I'll become a Pokémon researcher. Then I could have the chance to travel the world. Maybe I could listen to everyone and become a trapeze artist. I've definitely got the acrobatics for it. Or, maybe," I chuckled to myself. "I could become an international spy or something. Maybe I could get a job of being a Pokémon bodyguard."

Minccino's ears twitched and her nose wrinkled up. She didn't seem to like that suggestion, even though I was only kidding. I sighed again.

"Whatever. For now, I'm stuck here being plain old Rylee, daughter of a plain old woman and..." I said.

I stopped myself and grunted as I chucked a berry down to the ground. I watched it soar through the air and land in a bush. Suddenly, it came bouncing back out and rolled onto the ground.

"What in the...?" I said.

Minccino and I jumped down from the tree branch. I picked up the berry. I examined it, tossing it up in the air and catching it a few times. I threw it at the bush again, only for it to come bouncing back and hit Minccino. She yelped and muttered in frustration.

"Sorry..." I said, not really attentive to her tantrum.

"Pika..." a voice whimpered.

It was coming from the bush. I rushed over and crouched next to it. As I pushed the leaves out of the way, I cried out. It was a small rodent Pokémon covered in yellow fur. Its ears were long and pointed with black tips and it had two red circles on its cheeks. The Pokémon was unconscious, with swirls in its eyes, but it groaned quietly.

It was a Pikachu.

"Oh, my goodness!" I said. "What's a Pikachu doing here?!"

I picked up Pikachu and held him in my arms.

"Let's take it to the Pokémon Center." I said. Minccino nodded and we took off down the path.

The path that would lead me to my journey and to the rest of my life.


	2. Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

"Rylee, please come to the front desk." Nurse Joy's voice sounded over the intercom.

I stood up straight from my short snooze on the couch. My stomach grumbled, ready for dinner. I glanced out the window; the sun was beginning to set. Mom must be wondering where I am. I scrambled to my feet and Minccino and I headed to the front desk, where we were greeted by the cheerful smiles of Nurse Joy and Audino. Pikachu was fast asleep in Joy's arms.

"Pikachu is feeling a lot better."Joy said.

"Thanks, Joy." I said, scooping Pikachu into my arms.

I turned around and walked out of the Pokémon Center with Pikachu and Minccino.

"I wonder what happened to this little guy." I said. "His trainer must be so worried."

Minccino jumped on my shoulder and sniffed Pikachu, meeting his forehead with her nose. Her eyes widened.

"We should print out some lost and found posters. If we put them around town, someone's bound to show up." I said.

"Pika...?" a voice whimpered.

I stopped and looked down as Pikachu began to stir. His eyes fluttered open, and when he saw us, he leaped from my arms and landed a few feet away. He crouched down in a fighting stance and lightning flickered from its whiskers.

"It's okay, Pikachu." I said, raising my hands in a sign of surrender. "Minccino and I found you hurt and alone in the forest, so we brought you to the Pokémon Center."

Minccino jumped down from my shoulder and conversed with Pikachu, filling my ears with incoherent chattering.

"Where's your owner?" I said.

Pikachu's face fell and its ears drooped.

"Pika..." he said glumly.

"Don't worry, we'll help you find them." I said.

Pikachu's ears shot up and he looked around.

"What's wrong?" I said.

Pikachu turned around and took off down the path. Minccino and I chased after him into the forest.

"Pikachu! Where are you?" I heard a boy's voice echoing through the trees.

_Could that be his owner?_ I thought.

We wriggled our way through a cluster of shrubbery. As I spit out leaves that found their way into my mouth, I looked up and saw a boy with his back turned to me. He wore black trousers, a white, long-sleeved button-down shirt, a black vest over it, and a green bow tie. His hair was green and styled in a way that reminded me of a tree.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, rushing over to the boy.

The boy turned around and traced Pikachu with his grass-green eyes. He smiled.

"Pikachu, there you are!"

Pikachu jumped into the boy's arms. He looked up and our eyes were so locked together, I was afraid someone had buried the key. Before I could escape back into the trees, the boy approached me.

"Hello." he said. "You found Pikachu, right?"

"Yes." I said. "I found it hurt in a bush, so I took it to the Pokémon Center."

"Thank you." the boy extended his hand to me. "My name's Cilan, and I'm a Pokémon connoisseur."

I stared at his hand for a few moments before reaching out and shaking it. I craned my head a little to look at him. He seemed a good 5 inches taller than me. It reminded me of a video I saw once.

"I'm Rylee." I said. "Is Pikachu your Pokémon?"

Cilan shook his head. "No, Pikachu belongs to my friend, Ash."

Pikachu chattered excitedly at the sound of Ash's name. Minccino jumped on my shoulder and stared at Cilan.

"Wow, a Minccino." Cilan said.

"Yeah, she's my partner in crime." I said, stroking her head.

"Cilan!" a girl's voice called.

"Cilan, where are you?" a boy's voice echoed.

"That's my friends. Would you like to meet them?" Cilan said.

"Uh... sure."

I followed Cilan through the forest until we came across two kids. The boy had spiky black hair and brown eyes and he wore a blue and white jacket over a black shirt, black pants, and red shoes. The girl had big brown eyes and large purple hair and she wore a beige and pink blouse with matching beige capri pants. When the boy saw Pikachu, his eyes lit up.

"Pikachu!" he cried.

Pikachu jumped from Cilan's arms into the boy's arms. Cilan side-stepped next to me.

"Iris, Ash, this is Rylee." Cilan said. "She's the one who found Pikachu."

"Really?" Ash said. "Thanks so much!"

"No problem." I said. "Minccino and I took him to a Pokémon Center, so now he's all better."

The air was suddenly filled with a low grumble. Ash's face grew bright red and he clutched his stomach.

"Oops..." Ash said. "Guess it's dinner time."

Iris huffed a frustrated breath and crossed her arms. "Ash, you are like a bottomless pit!" she said.

"Why don't you all come to my house for dinner?" I said. "I'm sure my mom would be more than happy to make something for you."

"Really? All right!" Ash cried, taking off blindly down the forest path.

Iris shook her head. "Typical Ash. Whenever there's a chance for him to eat food, he jumps at the opportunity."

* * *

"Mom, I'm home!" I called as I opened the door.

"There you are, Rylee!" Mom said. She came out of the kitchen wiping her hands with a wash cloth, her forehead shiny and wet with sweat and her apron stained with unknown food ingredients. "Leavanny and I worried about you. Dinner is ready-"

Mom stopped and stared at Ash, Iris, and Cilan, who stood beside me at the front door.

"Oh, hello." she said. "Rylee, who are these people?"

"I met them in the forest. This is Ash, Iris, and Cilan." I said. "Guy, this is my mom."

"Nice to meet you." the three said.

"It's quite a surprise to see Rylee bring home friends. Unusual, in fact. Rylee is just so shy..." Mom said.

"Mom!" I said. "I have tons of friends!"

Mom walked over and shook the hands of Ash, Iris, and Cilan.

"Of course, dear." she said. She lingered on Cilan. "But they weren't as handsome as this young man."

"Thank you, ma'am." Cilan said.

"MOM!" I said. "I'm so sorry, guys. She's inhaled too much flour. It'd be best to just ignore her."

Mom rolled her eyes and disappeared into the living room. I led the three into the kitchen. I dumped the berries from my overflowing bag into a fruit bowl on the marble counter next to the sink. My mom made some pasta and Cilan used his cooking powers to make the meal super delicious. We sat around the table, Ash and Cilan on one side and Iris and I on the other. Pikachu, Iris's partner, Axew, and Minccino chowed down on Pokémon food at the ends of the table.

"So what brings you to my town?" I said.

"We're on our way to Nacrene City so I can challenge the Gym." Ash said.

"I'm guessing you want to enter the Unova League, right?"

"Yeah. I want to become a Pokémon Master! I already have one Gym badge from challenging the Striaton City gym leaders."

"Leaders? You mean there were more than one?"

"Yeah. In fact, the gym leaders were Cilan and his brothers. I battled against all three of them and won two out of three."

"Wow, all three?" I said. "That's quite impressive."

"Sure, it was fun to watch, but at least you didn't have to deal with the crazy fangirls swooning over every word they said." Iris said.

"A Pokémon Master with only one badge? Do you know how long that will take?" I said, turning my attention back to Ash.

"Of course I do, but that's not gonna stop me! I've already come this far, and I'm gonna work super hard to reach my dream!" Ash said.

I watched his face and eyes light up with determination.

_This kid sure is serious._ I thought. _With an attitude like that, there's no way he'll let someone like me make him doubt. I wish I was that spunky._

I turned to Iris and Cilan. "So what about you two? What are you aspiring for?"

"I wanna become a Dragon Master!" Iris said. Axew let out an encouraging cry.

"I wish to become the greatest connoisseur in the world." Cilan said, casually adjusting his bow tie.

I looked at the three one by one. They all radiated with confidence in themselves and each other.

"Those all sound like amazing goals." I said.

"What about you, Rylee?" Iris said. "What's your dream?"

"My dream?"

I held my hands together in my lap. I recalled the dreams I've had for the past few weeks. The cities I traveled to. The countless sights I saw and the special memories that accompanied them. The people and Pokémon I crossed paths with. The mysterious boy who eventually became my innocent lover, along the way writing the most breathtakingly beautiful love story in the Unova region. Maybe even the world.

Maybe that _could_ become possible.

"My dream is..." I said. My hand rested on the Poké Ball charm dangling around my neck. "To go on the greatest adventure ever."

My friends "ooh"'ed and "aah"'ed with intrigue.

"That sounds exciting!" Iris said. "What have you done so far?"

"Well... nothing. I've been here my entire life. The forest is the closest I've come to something adventurous, but I crave so much more. Maybe one day I'll go on a journey of my own, but for now, it's just me, my mom, and our Pokémon family..."

I cleared my throat as an uncomfortable weight settled down on my heart.

* * *

Nighttime fell on the town. After dinner, Ash found his way to my living room couch and he and Pikachu fell asleep on it. Iris, Cilan, and I hovered over him.

"You think we should wake him?" Iris said.

"No, it's late anyway. You should all spend the night here." I said.

"But you've already done so much for us." Cilan said. "We couldn't possibly..."

"I insist." I said.

Iris and Cilan set up their sleeping bags on the living room floor. I wished them a good night and went to my room. I changed into my pajamas. I approached my jewelry holder and unclipped my Poké Ball necklace. As it hung on its lonesome hook, I watched it slowly swing side to side. Minccino jumped on the window sill. I joined her and together we watched the stars and moon dance together in the blackened sky.

"They all have such exciting dreams." I said. Minccino turned her attention to me with perked ears. "And they're on a journey to fulfill them. I wonder if I'll ever have the courage to do the same."

Minccino watched me with her chestnut eyes. I smiled at her and patted her head.

"I know he would want me to do what's best for me." I whispered, the advice once caring turned bitter in my mouth. "But who knew he was just a huge hypocrite?"

"Cino?" Minccino said. Her eyes grew sad, as if she understood the meaning behind my words.

I stood up and went over to my bed.

"It's time for bed." I said. "I've got a new day of old routine tomorrow."

I turned off the lights and crawled underneath my bed covers. Minccino climbed onto my bed and curled up next to me.


	3. Start of Something New

I woke up minutes before the sun did. I dressed myself and tiptoed down the hallway. I peeked my head into the living room. Ash sprawled across the couch, his hat covering his face and Pikachu sleeping on his stomach. I could see a stream of drool dribbling out of his mouth that made me crack a smile. Cilan, however, curled up in his sleeping bag, looking sophisticated even when he slept.

As I watched the two boys, I was overcome with such bittersweet feelings: my heart felt heavy, my stomach filled with moths, and a lump formed in my throat. I turned away and pressed my back against the wall.

_What's wrong with me? I just met these people yesterday!_

I peeked my head over again and I remembered there were three of them.

_Where's Iris?_

"Cino?" Minccino nuzzled her nose against my ankle. I gasped, then I calmed down and scooped her up into my arms.

"Jeez, you scared me." I whispered. "Since we're up, we might as well start the day off right."

I grabbed my foraging bag and we headed out into the forest. The sun was still waking up, so the sky had layers of orange, pink, purple, and dark blue. I set Minccino down and she scurried off into a bush. I watched two Patrat chase each other around down the path, chattering and laughing. I walked up to a particularly large tree and tilted my head so far back I knew I was going to have neck issues tomorrow. A smile crept on my face. I turned around and my eyes fell on a large rock nearby. I reached into my foraging bag and pulled out a pair of smooth leather gloves. I put them on and wiggled my fingers. I took a running start and jumped onto the rock. When my foot came in contact, I twisted my body around and launched myself into the air. I shot my hands out and felt them slam into the branch. I used the launching momentum still in my body to swing myself up and onto the tree branch.

"I give that a 9.5." I smirked to myself.

I sat down and plucked an apple from a smaller branch dangling above me. I sunk my teeth into the sweet fruit and watched as the first rays of sun began to peek through.

"I love sunrises." I cried out, almost choking on my apple piece, as Iris dangled upside down next to me. Her face was right next to mine and she absorbed my shocked reaction with her hazel eyes. She giggled and flipped right side up next to me. I tossed her an apple and she gladly accepted it.

"You're up pretty early." I said.

"I needed to get some fresh air." Iris said. "Besides, sometimes Ash snores during the night. He's like a human chainsaw."

I laughed. We looked down and watched Axew and Minccino running around and playing with the forest Pokémon.

"It must get boring out here sometimes, huh?" Iris said.

"A little, yeah. For a while now it's just been me, my mom, and our Pokémon, Minccino and Leavanny." I said.

"Just you and your mom? What about your dad? Do you have any siblings?"

"I have a sister, but she's off leaving a path of destruction throughout Unova..." I touched my Poké Ball charm. "As for my dad... He's been gone ever since I was 5. My mom won't tell me why, but I know that she's in a lot of pain over it... but I'd rather not talk about him."

"It's okay. I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

There was a moment of silence as we watched our Pokémon play.

"Iris!" voices called down the path. It was Cilan and Ash.

"Rylee!" I heard my mom call. "Breakfast!"

"I guess that's our cue." I said.

We jumped down from the branch and collected our Pokémon. We walked together back to my house. As we walked in, the smell of pancakes and berries filled our nostrils. We walked into the dining room. Ash and Cilan sat at the table and Mom set down two giant plates of pancakes that made Ash's eyes light up.

"Just in time!" Cilan said. "It's breakfast time!"

I licked my lips and sat down at the table. We ate until our pants were popping. After breakfast, Ash, Iris, and Cilan went to the living room and started packing up their things. As I watched them laughing and talking, the pit of sadness formed in my stomach again.

The thought of saying goodbye to these strangers upset me. The thought of never seeing them again sickened me.

But the time came when their things were all together, and it frustrated me how quickly they got things put together. The four of us walked outside as the sunrise was at its breathtaking climax, casting giant shades of pink and yellow into the sky.

"Thanks again for letting us stay." Iris said.

"It's no big deal..." I said. I swallowed hard, ready to get things over with. "So I guess you have to leave now."

"Yup. We have to continue our journey to fulfill our dreams!" Ash said.

"Yeah... your dreams." I said. "Well... goodbye."

I turned around, my escape route all planned out, but Mom stood in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"Wait just a moment." Cilan said.

I turned back to them. How much longer were they going to torment me?

"We were thinking... since you've always wanted to go on a journey of your own and fulfill your dream..." Ash said.

"Yeah?" I said, a nervous hope bubbling in my stomach.

"We want you to come with us." Cilan said.

My breath caught in my throat. A wide grin broke on my face.

"R... really?!" I said.

I turned to Mom, who approached me with a packed backpack. Her eyes were shining with wet tears. I took the backpack and tears filled my eyes.

"It's time for you to see the world." she said. "I'll be rooting for you."

She took my hand and placed a Poké Ball in it: Leavanny, her partner. I clutched the Poké Ball in my hand.

"Mom..." I said.

I gave her a tight hug. She stroked my head and held me close.

"Good luck. I love you." Mom said.

"I love you too." I choked back tears. "I'll see you later."

We pulled away and I clipped Leavanny's Poké Ball to my belt loop. Minccino came scurrying out and jumped on my shoulder, chattering excitedly. I turned to Ash, Iris, and Cilan, who waited patiently with eager smiles.

"You ready, Rylee?" Ash said.

I laughed happily and slung my backpack onto my shoulders, hurrying over to them.

"As I'll ever be!" I cried.

Together the four of us turned and walked down the path into the forest towards the sunrise. But this time, the path was leading me to the start of something wonderful.

* * *

As she watched her walk away, Rylee's mom, Delilah, lowered her arm back to her side, a little sore from waving. Her expression grew serious.

"Brand... the time has come." she said. "Our little girl is finally ready... ready to find out the truth. Maybe she really is the one... the one who will set things right..."

Delilah lowered her eyes to the ground. She reached into her apron pocket and gazed longingly at a family picture: her, Brand, Rylee, and her second child.

"Maybe she has the power to lead you home. Oh, my darling... what have they done to you?"


	4. Wrangles and Wraiths

Along the way, Ash caught three more Pokémon: Snivy, Oshawott, and Tepig. Cilan caught himself a Dwebble. I met two people, Bianca, a clumsy, cheerful girl who's on a journey of her own, and Trip, Ash's rival with a bit of an attitude. The four of us stepped into Nacrene City.

"We finally made it!" Ash said.

"Look at all the cool buildings!" Iris said.

We were surrounded by giant warehouses decorated with all kinds of colors and designs. Everything in the town was painted to a certain degree.

"They're actually abandoned warehouses that the city leased to artists." Cilan said. "And because of that, Nacrene City is known as "The City of Art.""

"Wow! Everywhere you look you see the inspiration left by dozens of artists!" I said.

"The city is also known for its style, so it's "The City of Admiration", too."

"As far as I'm concerned, you can call it what you want, but I came to Nacrene City for one reason: a gym battle!" Ash said.

"Ash, you've got to learn to appreciate what's in front of you. If all you do is worry about your next gym battle, you'll miss the good stuff!" I said. I saw a poster on the wall and pointed to it. "Look! There's a museum nearby. Let's go check it out!"

"But..."

"To peak your interest, the Nacrene City museum is also him to the gym." Cilan said.

"So the gym's in the museum?!" Ash said. He pumped his fist in the air. "Then let's head over there now!"

I sighed. "Not what I had in mind, but I guess it's good enough."

* * *

"WHAT?! Closed?!" Ash cried to the sign on the window. He growled in frustration and cupped his hands over his mouth. "I wanna challenge the Nacrene Gym! Is anybody in there?!"

Ash ran up to the door and attempted to open it, but it was locked. Cilan walked up to a poster.

"Secret Artifacts Exhibit?" Iris read.

"And looking at the dates, it's today." Cilan said. "But it doesn't make any sense that it would be closed."

"Maybe they're putting the finishing touches on the exhibit." I said.

Ash pounded his fist against the door.

"Uh, excuse me?" he said. No answer. "Nothing."

Suddenly, from the other side of the door, a man screamed. We cried out and looked at each other.

"What's going on?!" I said.

The doors flew open and a man collapsed to the ground. He had short brown hair and gray eyes covered with glasses and he wore a gray tuxedo.

"Sir! Are you all right?" Cilan said, kneeling at his side.

The man yelped and sat up, pointing into the museum.

"In there! It's horrible!" he said.

We looked down the hallway, but nothing seemed spooky enough to startle a grown man.

"Is... something wrong with the hallway?" Iris said.

"Huh?!" the man said, staring down the hallway. "No, it's fine! The Dome Fossil was chasing me!"

"What? Chasing you?" I said. "I don't see anything."

"It's there all right!"

"Let's check it out!" Ash said.

We walked through the museum and found the Dome Fossil sitting on its pedestal.

"Oh, yeah." I said. "Terrifying."

"But... how?" The man said, peeking from around the corner. "It was just chasing after me a minute ago!"

"Fill us in, please!" Cilan said. "And don't leave out any details!"

"Uh... sure."

* * *

We sat around a table outside the museum.

"We were behind schedule for the Secret Artifacts Exhibit." the man said, wringing his hands. "So when the artifacts finally arrived, the workers and I were rushing to gather the displays. By the time we had finished, it was very late. I was alone, doing a final checkup on the artifacts, when suddenly the lights went out. As I made my way toward the light switch, I heard them... footsteps coming toward me from behind! Things were starting to get a bit scary, when suddenly I heard a cry! I called down the hallway, but there was no answer. Suddenly, I saw it! A ghostly flame coming toward me! I ran out of the museum, but when I looked back, it was gone."

I glanced around the table. Iris and Ash leaned forward, taking in every words he said, but Cilan sat back with his arms crossed and his eyes closed with a serious scowl on his face.

"Scared out of my wits, I went to bring the workers back with me, and we searched the whole museum, but we didn't find anything out of the ordinary." the man continued. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he recalled the memories. "So, since our patrons' safety comes first, we decided to postpone the exhibit. After the workers left, I decided to stay and search the museum one last time. As I entered the exhibit, the Dome Fossil was floating in the air! It came right for me!"

"Oh my." Cilan said. "And that's when we ran into you."

"I'll tell you, weird things can happen..." Ash said with his arms crossed.

"A curse..." Iris said. She pounded her fist against the table. "It's gotta be!"

"A curse?!"

"There's no doubt in my mind that an angry spirit of some sorts has put a terrible curse on this museum, and that's that!"

"Huh? You think it's a curse?" the man said.

Axew whimpered and hid in Iris's hair.

"Ya see? Even Axew knows it's true!" Iris said. "And bad things will happen soon if we don't do something now!"

"Now, don't overreact. There's a rational explanation for this." Cilan said. He shrugged casually. "It's simply a misunderstanding, that's all!"

"A misunderstanding?!"

"I'm sure science has the key. Scientific perspective is what we need!"

Iris slammed her hands onto the table and stood up, glaring at Cilan as he sat back with a smug smile on his face.

"Oh yeah?! Then figure it out from a "scientific perspective"!" she cried.

"I'll do just that." Cilan crossed his arms. "Huh, this is turning into a recipe I like!"

"But... what are you saying?" the man said to Iris.

"I'm saying I'll find out why a spirit would cast a curse on your museum! I guarantee it!" Iris said.

"And I'll find out what's really going on with science! The scientific method is the _smart_ way to go." Cilan said.

"Or, you know, you both could be wrong." I said. "It could be neither of those things. Heck, it could just be a Pokémon."

Ash slammed his hands against the table and stood up.

"Hold it right there!" he cried. "I wanna know about my gym battle!"

"There's no time for that now!" Iris said. "Don't be a little kid!"

"Only a little kid would believe that an "angry spirit" would be behind all this." Cilan retorted.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"Now, now..." the man said. "Lenora's not here anyway. And you can't battle without her!"

We all turned to the man as he stood up.

"I never really introduced myself." he said. "My name is Hawes, and I'm the co-curator of the museum. And when I refer to Lenora, I meant my wife. She's also the Nacrene Gym Leader."

We finished introducing ourselves and Hawes agreed to give us a quick tour of the museum.

* * *

"It's thought that Kabuto, the Shellfish Pokémon, were living on our beaches as far back as 300 million years ago!" Hawes said as we gathered around the Dome Fossil.

"Whoa, that's a long time ago..." Ash said.

We walked up to a skeletal model of a Dragonite. Hawes showed us a display containing a meteonite. We entered the Secret Artifacts Exhibit's main attraction room. Ash scurried over to some sets of armor. As we looked at the artifacts, Iris got a thoughtful look on her face.

"Something wrong?" I said.

"It's about the curse. This has something to do with it!" she said.

"Really?" Ash said.

"Why do you think so?" Cilan said.

"It's my sixth sense! That's how I know!" Iris said.

Cilan crossed his arms. "Which means... you have no evidence, so it's just a hunch."

Iris growled. Ash led us over to a replica of a Yamask mask.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Iris said, staring at the mask. "Something..."

"What, is your sixth sense trying to speak to you?" Cilan said.

I walked to the display and pressed my hand against the glass. A shock of frisson ran up my spine and my heart filled with a sad rage.

"You know..." I said. "I agree with Iris. There's something about this mask."

"You mean it could be cursed?" Ash said.

"I don't know... Hawes, are you sure this is a replica?"

"Of course. It came with the other artifacts." he said.

I nodded slowly and followed the others to the next room, a library stocked with countless book shelves.

"Wow!" I cried, spinning around. "There must be a million books in here!"

"And so this is the end of our tour..." Hawes said, turning to Iris. "Now tell me... did you find anything strange?"

Cilan crossed his arms. "Well, everything seems to be quite normal, as far as I can tell." he said.

"Something definitely doesn't feel right to me... but I can't put my finger on what it is." Iris said.

"I know one thing..." Ash said. He clutched his stomach as it grumbled. "I need to eat."

"Will you stop?!" Iris cried as the rest of us laughed.

"I was just joking!"

"Uh, Hawes, sir, would it be okay if we slept here in the museum tonight?" Cilan said.

"Huh? Sleep in the museum?" Hawes said.

"Right. That would allow us to keep an eye out for any paranormal activities going on."

"Oh, yeah! There's no doubt angry spirits are definitely more active at night." Iris said, taking her chin in her hand. "It would be a great way to find out what's causing the curse!"

"Well, you may all be kids, but you're sure courageous!" Hawes said. "I'm quite impressed."


	5. What Is Going On?

My eyes snapped open and saw myself surrounded in a black void. I stood up and slowly walked, watching my step as if one false move would send me plunging to my hidden death. As I walked, my foot expertly caught on nothing and I tripped and fell on the ground.

"Ow..." I said, sitting up. I stopped. "Wait... ow? I felt that. But this is a dream."

But even saying that, it didn't quite convince me. Was this one of those lucid dreams where I could control what's going on? I stood up again as the air filled with a sweet singing voice. White fog chased away the blackness. As the singing voice faded, a giant blobby figure stood past the fog.

"Rylee..." it said.

"Hello?" I said. "Who are you?"

A pair of green eyes pierced the fog and narrowed at me.

"The time will come soon that we will meet again." the figure said. The figure stretched out, and I could tell it had wings. "I mustn't talk long, but this is not the last time we will speak. I promise. Rylee, you must promise me to never doubt your instinct, for it will lead you to the answers you seek."

"Um... okay..." I said.

The figure flapped its large wings, whipping the fog towards me. I shielded myself from the bursts of wind and when I looked back up, I was alone in the dark.

* * *

Minccino was nervously chattering in my ears. I grumbled and rubbed my eyes. When I opened them, black and purple fog floated in the air.

"Ah!" I cried out. "Guys, wake up!"

They woke up and sat straight up when they saw the fog.

"You're up. Is something wrong?" Hawes said. He put on his glasses, and when he saw the fog, he screamed and jumped out of his bedding. "That fog! What could it be?!"

A burst of fog came into the room from the hallway.

"I'm telling you, the angry spirit's about to do something bad!" Iris said.

"Of course not. The air conditioning must have broken down." Cilan said.

Metal clanging against the floor echoed in the fog.

"What's that noise?" Ash said.

One of the suits of armor walked towards us. Hawes screamed and fell back onto his butt.

"A GHOST!" he cried.

"All right, what's the scientific explanation, _Cilan_?" Iris said.

"Easy. It's the Poltergeist phenomenon, which refers to things that move, but due to the vibrations of ultra-low frequency sound waves." Cilan said.

The suit of armor drew its sword and continue making its way towards us.

"I don't think sound waves are doing that..." I said.

"It's possible that someone is manipulating its arms with strings." Cilan said.

"That's kind of a stretch... besides, we're the only ones here." Ash said.

The suit of armor charged towards us.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"Minccino, you too!"

Minccino and Pikachu dashed towards the suit of armor and crashed into it. The armor clattered to the ground in pieces.

"All right!" Ash said.

But soon after, the suit of armor recollected its scattered pieces.

"That's curious..." Cilan said.

"No, it's a curse!" Iris growled.

"'Kay, Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu ran at the armor in a fury of lightning, scattering the armor again. A purple and blue flame rose from the armor.

Hawes gasped. "Is that a ghostly aura?!"

"It's just an electrical discharge and nothing more. People often mistake phenomena like that for ghosts."

The flame circled around Ash.

"That's hot!" he said.

It passed Ash and began chasing Hawes around in circles. Ash called out Oshawott, who put out the flame with Water Gun. The helmet of the armor rose into the air.

"All right, explain!" Iris said.

"A change in the magnetic field is reacting with the metal in the armor, causing it to float." Cilan said.

The helmet chased Hawes around. He screamed, ducking as he scrambled around.

"Minccino, use Iron Tail!"

The helmet crashed to the ground. We gathered around Hawes.

"Thanks. I needed that." he said.

"Is it just me or does it seem like whatever's happening is taking an interest in Hawes?" I said.

"Huh?! Me?!"

"Right! I think the angry spirit's after you, Hawes." Iris said.

"But I don't think I've done anything that would cause someone to be so mad..."

Suddenly, water began to fall from the ceiling.

"Rain?" Ash said.

"There's something wrong with the sprinklers, that's all." Cilan said, which earned a glare from Iris.

The rain stopped just as quickly as it came. We heard the sound of cries coming from the other room.

"Those are the very same sounds I heard last night!" Hawes said.

"It sounds like crying!" Iris said. "The spirit must be so sad!"

"No, no, that crying is actually low-frequency sound waves, which are causing something to squeak." Cilan said.

"Whatever! Let's check out what's going on!" Ash said, returning Oshawott to its Poké Ball.

We ran into the next room and looked around. We looked at the Yamask mask and saw tears streaming down it.

"But... why would that mask be sad?" Iris said.

"What appears to be tears are in reality condensation and nothing more." Cilan said.

The mask lifted from its stand and began slamming itself against the glass display. I began to see the outline of something in front of the glass, holding the mask.

_That can't be... I'm just tired from lack of sleep._ I thought.

_Never doubt your instincts._ The voice from my dream echoed in my mind.

I looked closer, narrowing my eyes on the outline. The back of my eyes felt warm as the outline grew shape and color into...

_A Pokémon!_ I cried.

"The angry spirit's in that mask!" Iris said.

"Wrong. It's merely attracted to something, like the positive and negative pulls of a magnet." Cilan retorted.

We heard heavy footsteps behind us. We turned to see the Dragonite skeleton approaching us.

"All right, are you the angry spirit?" Iris said. "Tell us-!"

"STOP! It's simply a change in the magnetic field!" Cilan said. "...Oh, I don't even believe me anymore..."

The skeleton lunged at us. We jumped out of the way. The skeleton pounded its fists against the display case.

"Pansage, use Bullet Seed!"

Pansage emerged from its Poké Ball shot a barrage of seeds at the skeleton. I heard a cry and the small Pokémon fell to the ground.

"Did you see that?!" I said.

"All I heard was a cry. What did you see?" Ash said.

I paused. "Uh, nothing..."

"It could've been the voice of the angry spirit!" Iris said.

"What about the mask? Is it all right?" Cilan said.

"I'll go check on it!" Hawes said.

"Wait, Hawes, don't-!" I cried.

But Hawes swiped his card against the security system and the glass slid open. The mask flew out of its display and burrowed into Cilan's face. His cries muffled as he struggled to get the mask off.

"Cilan!" we cried.

Ash and Iris grabbed the mask and helped Cilan in trying to get it off, but to no avail. I ran over and gripped the mask, ready to pull.

Images flooded my mind, clouding my eyes. I saw Hawes and the workers bringing in the artifacts for the exhibit. Hidden in one of the crates the workers carried, a Yamask slept. As it turned over, its mask fell out of its hands and onto the ground, landing by Hawes' feet. He picked it up and looked at it. He went over to the display case and put it in. The scene changed to the Yamask waking up in the museum, who went into a panic tantrum as it searched for its mask. Its eyes caught onto it in the display case and hurried over to it. It reached into the case and grabbed the mask, but when it tried to pull its mask out, the display case stopped it.

The images disappeared, snapping me back into reality.

"It's stuck! It won't come off!" Ash cried.

"Pull harder!" Iris said.

Cilan thrashed around, throwing us from him. He stood there silently.

"Cilan, are you okay?" Ash said.

"Snap out of it!" Iris said.

Cilan lifted his head.

"And now..." he said. The voice that came from him wasn't his, but much deeper and bone-chilling.

"Cilan...?" I said.

Cilan brought his hands out and purple flames formed in his palms.

"I SHALL PUNISH YOU!" He thrust his arms out, sending the flames straight at us.

We cried out and jumped out of the way, Ash, Iris, Hawes, and I moving to one side and Minccino, Pikachu, and Axew scurrying away to the other side.

"Cilan, what's gotten into you?!" Ash said.

"It's obvious that Cilan's been taken over by the angry spirit!" Iris said. "Listen to me, spirit. Please tell us why you're so angry!"

Cilan craned his head over to us. "You locked it away!" the mask said. "The mask is precious to me!"

"Locked it away?" Iris said. "I think it's talking about you, Hawes."

"Huh?!" Hawes said.

"And now, YOU SHALL PAY!"

More flames erupted in Cilan's hands. He turned and hurled them at our Pokémon.

"Pikachu, get out of the way!" Ash said.

"Axew, move!" Iris cried.

They obeyed, leaving Minccino, frozen with fear, right in the line of fire.

"Minccino!" I cried.

I sprinted forward towards her. I lunged and grabbed Minccino as the flames collided with my body. I cried out as pain exploding along my body. I could feel my skin and clothing burning and melting. The impact sent me crashing back into the wall. My ears rang and the strength in my body drained. Minccino wriggled out of my arms and shook my shoulder. My body twitched involuntarily and I barely managed to point my finger forward.

"Minccino... go." I rasped.

Minccino hesitated, but then turned around and ran towards Cilan. I groaned as the unbearable pain rendered me unconscious.


	6. Recovery

Once again I returned to the black void of dreams. The white fog hung in the air, followed by the giant white figure covered by it.

"Well done, Rylee." it said. "You are beginning to awaken the real you."

"What?" I said. "You mean the invisible Pokémon I saw?"

"Ah, it was invisible to your friends and any other human, but you, my dear Rylee, could detect it with a single glance. This is just the beginning of your path to seeing what you are truly capable of."

"What _am_ I capable of, exactly?"

"Don't fret, child. In due time, you will find out." the figure said. Its wings extended to its side and its green eyes flashed. "Until you do, remember to always believe what you see, for what you see is the truth."

And with that, I was alone again.

* * *

"She's waking up!" a muffled voice said, who I identified as Iris. "Rylee! Come on, wake up!"

My eyelids fluttered. I struggled the first few seconds with blurred vision until it became clear. Iris hovered over me. She smiled.

"Rylee! Thank goodness you're awake!" she said.

"Iris...?" I mumbled.

Nurse Joy entered the room, followed by Ash, Cilan, Hawes, and a tall woman with dark skin and big teal hair. I took the chance to absorb my surrounding. I laid in a hospital bed, covered by a blue hospital gown. My hair sat at the top of my head in a messy bun. The shorter hairs fell on my forehead and around my face.

"What's going on?" I said, nervously pulling the covers up higher.

"After you passed out, Minccino went after Cilan while he was still possessed by the mask." Iris said. She giggled a little. "Then Minccino used Tickle on him and pretty much made him laugh the mask off."

I glanced at Cilan, who stared at the floor.

"Then Lenora came in and used her Watchog to fix things." Ash said. "It was so cool!"

I looked between Hawes and the woman.

That's_ Lenora? _I thought. _Well, they do say opposites attract..._

"The Yamask mask Hawes mistook for a replica was real. Yamask went into a rage, convinced that Hawes had stolen it." Lenora said.

The image of Yamask struggling to get its mask out of the display case flashed in my mind.

_That's strange..._

"Lenora helped us take you to the nearest hospital, but it was already closed." Hawes said. "We're in a Pokémon Center."

"What?! A Pokémon Center?!" I cried, sitting forward. I turned to Nurse Joy, who shook her head.

"I'm just as confused as you are. I saw how critically burned you were, so I took you into the infirmary. But we had to take the risk of treating you with Pokémon medicine. But the strangest thing happened: not only did your body accept the Pokémon medicine, your body was rapidly repairing itself as well. It was like magic." Nurse Joy shook her head again. "It's truly a mystery."

"You healed me... with Pokémon medicine?" I said.

"Aside from that, I'm happy to say that your recovery was quick and successful. You're going to be just fine."

The door flew open and Minccino scurried into the room.

"Minccino!" I cried as she leaped onto the bed.

As my arms wrapped around her warm, little body, she stiffened. We pulled away and she looked into my eyes. Her widened.

_Brand... it's beginning..._ a female voice echoed in my mind.

I flinched, but I looked past it and cleared my throat.

"Uh, so why am I wearing this gown?" I asked.

"Well, it makes it easier to medicate you..." Nurse Joy said. "Also, in the accident you were in, your clothes were so badly burned, I had to dispose of them."

"_Dispose?!_" I cried. "I can't wear this all the time! What will I do?!"

"Don't worry," Iris said, shooting me a wink. "Ms. Fashionista took care of that."

"Thanks, Iris." I said.

Everyone left the room and I changed into my new clothes. I looked in the mirror and admired my new outfit. I wore a white sweater with gold sequins covering the front. I scrunched the sleeves to my elbows. I also wore dark wash jean capris that ended at my shins and gray and black running shoes. I pulled my hair out of the bun and shook it out. The bun was in for so long, the waves of my hair were curly.

_That looks nice._ I thought. _Maybe I should do this from now on._

The door opened and Cilan stepped inside. He spent a second studying my new look before approaching me.

"I think this is yours." he said.

He held out his hand, which contained my Poké Ball necklace. My hand traveled to the empty space on my neck. I reached out and took it from him.

"Thank you." I said.

I turned around and clipped it on. Through the mirror, Cilan hesitated, staring at the ground.

"I'm so sorry." he said. "This is all my fault."

I turned around and studied him. I could practically see the guilt bearing down on his shoulders. Seeing him like this both broke and warmed my heart. Never before has a guy been this way because of me. Never before expressing such care for me. A small smile grew on my face.

"Of course it's not. You were possessed by Yamask's mask. You had no idea what was going on." I said. "And... I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose."

Cilan tore his eyes from the ground and looked at me. Seeing my smile, his face softened and he smiled back. His eyes traveled to my necklace.

"You know, the craftsmanship of the charm is rather remarkable." he said. "It really looks like an actual Poké Ball."

I nervously covered the charm with my hand.

"Yeah... thanks." I said, scooping up my hospital attire and placing it on the bed. I walked past him and out of the room.


	7. One Surprise After Another

When the morning came, my friends and I gathered in front of the museum.

"How are you feeling, Rylee?" Iris said.

"Fine." I said.

I guess I was telling the truth. I felt fine physically, but my mind felt more scrambled than my eggs with trying to figure out the Pokémon Center situation. There's no way a human could consume Pokémon medicine without some huge, deadly side effect. Was there a 0.0001% of success and I just happened to be extremely lucky that night? The white creature from my dreams didn't visit last night, so I couldn't ask. Who, or what, is my dream mystery?

"I'm so _psyched!_" Ash cried, interrupting my thoughts. "Second gym badge, here I come!"

Hawes and Lenora greeted us at the museum entrance and we went inside. Uneasy memories washed over me as we walked through. The area was streaming with people "ooh"ing and "aah"ing at the artifacts. We went into the library, where more people gathered there, thirsting for knowledge.

"So, Lenora..." Ash said. "Where's the battlefield?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Lenora said.

We walked up to a door with a scanner next to it. Hawes placed his hand on the scanner and the door opened.

"We're entering an area that's closed off to the public." he said.

We walked into the room, which had even more bookshelves with even more books.

"And why is this closed off?" I said. "They're just books."

"This library's reserved for rare books and study materials." Lenora said. "You need special permission from us to enter here."

"This is the finest collection in the entire Unova region!" Hawes said proudly. "You can learn everything about Unova's history and culture right in here!"

"Incredible!" Cilan called from an aisle. "You've even got books about Pokémon connoisseurs!"

Ash and Iris looked around the room in a confused trance.

"All right, Ash!" Lenora said, walking up to him and planting her hand on his shoulder. "I would think you'd wanna study up on the Unova region before our battle."

"Thing is... I came for a gym battle..." Ash said.

"Of course you did! That's why we brought you to our library first! Knowledge can be very important in a Pokémon battle."

"Yeah...?" Ash said, slumping his shoulders.

Lenora tapped on a book. "I recommend you check this one out first."

"I didn't really come here to read..." Ash groaned.

"I can think of worse things." Iris said.

"This might have something to do with your gym battle." Cilan said. "Everything she's saying could be her method of testing you."

"First I have to read, and now I have to take a test?!" Ash said.

"Just go pick the book." I said, shoving Ash forward.

After he caught himself, Ash walked over to the bookshelf and tugged on the book. The wall rumbled violently and suddenly it began to raise. A smile appeared on Lenora's face. A staircase appeared that led downstairs.

"Now, then..." Lenora said. "Let's get going, shall we?"

We headed down the staircase into the large battlefield. Ash ran to the center of the gym battle.

"'Kay, let's get it goin' now!" he cried.

"Now just a moment, Ash." Lenora said. "Looks like you need to catch up on your studying. Don't you want to know what kind of gym leader I am?"

First Lenora called out her Watchog, the one that helped my friends last night at the museum. The second Pokémon she brought out was Lillipup. Iris squealed.

"It's so cute!" she cried.

She ran over and petted Lillipup's head, who jumped into her arms and licked her face.

"I'm so totally in love with your Lillipup!" Iris said.

Lillipup cast its eyes on me. It wriggled from Iris's arms and ran circles around my feet.

"Huh?" I said.

"I think Lillipup's taken a liking to you, Rylee." Cilan said.

Lillipup jumped up, placing its paws on my leg. I crouched down and petted its head.

"Hello." I said.

Lillipup yipped happily.

"_Hiya!_"

I cried out, losing my balance and falling on my butt. Everyone stared at me.

"Is something wrong, Rylee?" Lenora said. "Don't tell me you're afraid of my Lillipup."

I cleared my throat and stood up, dusting my pants off.

"Of course not." I said. "I was just startled. Its bark is definitely worse than its bite."

A chuckle rippled and everyone turned their attention back to Lenora and Ash. I sighed in relief.

_I need more sleep._ I thought.

The battle began. Ash called out Tepig and Lenora sent out Lillipup, who went from adorable to terrifying. It crouched down in a ready-to-pounce stance and growled.

"Whoa! Lillipup's tough!" Iris said.

"Wow." I said. "I take back my last statement."

"Tepig, use Ember!"

Tepig ran forward and inhaled deeply, ready to spew burning embers at Lillipup.

"Lillipup, Roar!"

Lillipup took a deep breath and roared. Its contour glowed red and its Roar was so intense, you could see its sound waves. Tepig stopped in its tracks, trying to hold its ground. Suddenly, returned to its Poké Ball. Ash cried out in confusion as Oshawott came out, looking groggy and confused.

"What... happened?!" Ash said.

Lenora smirked. "I see you've never had a move like Roar used against you. You see, Roar is a powerful move that forces one's opponent to switch Pokémon."

Lenora returned Lillipup and brought out Watchog. Ash looked nervous.

"Oshawott, return!" he said, pulling out its Poké Ball.

"Watchog, Mean Look!"

Watchog's eyes glowed red and Oshawott glowed purple. He examined himself, confused at how he was still fine.

"What?! Return!"

But the laser of Oshawott's Poké Ball bounced off of his body.

"Of course! This must be Lenora's strategy!" I said. "First she used Roar to force Ash to switch Pokémon, and now Mean Look keeping Oshawott from leaving the battle!"

"Quite a combination. A psychological attack custom-made for her opponent..." Cilan said.

"Now what?" Iris said. "Battling earlier than it thought it would must mean Oshawott's a little agitated. Do you think Ash can still do this?"

"Will you stop that?!" Ash cried. "I'm gonna win this!"

"Go on, Ash." Lenora said, beckoning to him playfully. "Your next move?"

"Tepig is unable to battle!" Hawes said as Tepig laid unconscious on the battlefield. "So Lillipup wins! And the victor is Lenora the gym leader!"

Lillipup let out a happy howl and Lenora knelt to pet its head. Tepig sat up.

"Thanks a lot, Tepig." Ash said.

Tepig bowed his head glumly. Ash kneeled by Tepig as Iris, Cilan, and I gathered around them.

"Come on, don't look so sad..." Ash said. "Truth is, it's my fault you lost. Sorry you've got a weak trainer like me."

"Ash, that's no way to talk." I said, knocking him lightly upside the head. "You're going to lose some battles now and then."

"Guess I've got some more training to do..."

* * *

We entered Don George's Battle Club to help Ash's Pokémon to train for Ash's rematch. After Tepig's training, I watched Ash train with Oshawott by the poolside.

"Hey, Rylee, will you watch my clothes?" Ash said, freshly changed into his purple and red swimsuit, as he set his pile of clothes down by me.

"Sure." I said.

Ash and Oshawott dove into the water, and I shielded my face from the water that splashed onto me. As I dried my hands on Ash's jacket, my eye caught onto his Pokédex laying in one of his shoes. I picked it up in my hands, stealing a glance at Ash, who was absorbed into training Oshawott, and turned it on. I scrolled through the Pokémon categories, starting with common Pokémon. The mysterious creature appeared in my mind, and I used what I knew about it to try to pinpoint if it could be a Pokémon, and if it was, what one. As I frustratingly finished looking through the mythical Pokémon, I growled and slumped my arms onto my lap. I stared at the Pokédex screen when I noticed one more category at the bottom: legendary Pokémon. A nervous hot flash crept across my skin as I scrolled through. Each Pokémon that I looked at that didn't fit the creature's looks made me feel more bitter and hopeless inside.

But then I looked at the last Pokémon. A giant, white Pokémon with its large wings stretched out to the sky, its chest puffed out proudly. In the image, its eyes were blue, but the confirmation burning in my chest never faltered. I gulped.

_Reshiram._ I thought.

_Yes?_

"ALL RIGHT!" The combined voices startled me and Ash's Pokédex went fumbling out of my hands. I quickly caught it before it could go tumbling into the water. I looked up to see that Oshawott had learned Aqua Jet, however he was wandering around aimlessly in the air. He turned right back around and slammed into Ash, sending them both into the water.

I laid Ash's Pokédex back onto his clothing. I wrung my hands together as Reshiram's image prodded its way through my mind.

* * *

The warmth of the black void enveloped my slumbering soul. The fogged white blob stood in front of me.

"There's no use in the fog." I said. "I know who you are... Reshiram."

The pair of green eyes cutting through the fog flashed. I could detect a smile in them. Wings stretched out and fanned the fog away. Reshiram stood, looking as proud as it did in Ash's Pokédex.

"_Good work, Rylee._" Reshiram said, and I learned now that he was speaking to me telepathically.

"How do you know my name? Why do you keep showing up in my dreams? What do you know about me?" I said.

"_Patience._" Reshiram chuckled. "_One question at a time._"

I took a deep breath, recalling the night at the Pokémon Center.

"How was I able to accept the Pokémon medicine at the Center?" I said. "It's made for POKÉMON. I should have suffered from a horrible side effect or died from it, but I didn't. Why?"

"_Such a smart young lady._" Reshiram said. "_You were able to take the medicine __because..._"

Reshiram began to shimmer. The shimmer covered its entire body until pure light covered it. Its body began to shrink down to my size until it shaped into a silhouette of a human being. The light faded and a man stood in the Pokémon's place. He had short, brown hair and he wore a muddy-brown button up shirt with sleeves cuffed to the elbows, black trousers, and black dress shoes. But his eyes weren't just any old green color. They were grass-green, and looking at them more closely, I could see a ring of purple wrapped around his pupils and tiny flecks of purple dotted around the iris.

Just like mine...

The man smiled at me.

I fainted.

* * *

I woke up and sat straight up, trying to calm my jackrabbit heart before it beat right out of my chest. I looked around, watching my friends sleep peacefully. I looked at Minccino, who laid against my side, curled up in a little ball of fluff. I pet her soft fur.

A vision swept over my eyes. I saw the man, but he was a few years younger. He wrung his hands and paced a little across the carpeted floor. He turned and looked at me with tired eyes.

_"Will you promise me that you'll take care of her?"_ he said.

_"Of course!"_ Words came out of my mouth that were not mine.

_This must be in the eyes of Minccino..._ I thought. _But... why is Minccino talking?!_

_"Thank you."_ the man said. His tired face brightened a little with relief. _"Thank you so much. Rylee will need a friend."_

_"Someday she'll understand." _Minccino me said. _"It may take a while, but I'm sure this won't be the last time you see each other."_

The man smiled at me. The vision faded and I recaptured my stolen breath. I looked down at Minccino as she slept. I gulped.

_Dad..._


	8. Confidence

Brand Runyon. The name of the man who appeared in my dreams as the legendary Pokémon Reshiram... and the name of my father.

He left when I was young, around the age of 4 or 5, so the entire story is lost within my childhood memories buried deep inside my brain. My mom refused to tell me the truth, instead trying to sugarcoat the story with "Oh, his job takes him to many wonderful places". But I see the pain in her eyes whenever he's mentioned. I hear her cry at night in her room while I'm trying to go to bed. I blamed myself for years, and after my sister Alyssa went on her own journey, I finally began to accept his absence. I wished I could see him again so I could lash all of my frustration and feelings out on him.

But seeing him standing there with me in that black void, with that smile on his face, all of my anger whisked away in one fell swoop. I was so happy to know that he still lived. Somewhere in that careless body of his, there was a heart with an ounce of concern for me.

But why did he leave in the first place? And why did he suddenly decide to show his face now?

"Rylee?"

I cleared my throat, forcing myself back to reality. We were once again in Lenora's gym. Ash and Lenora brought out Tepig and Herdier, newly evolved from Lillipup. I glanced over at Cilan, who watched me.

"Are you all right?" he said. "You've been pretty out of it since the incident at the museum."

I glanced at Ash's battle. Lenora had used the same Roar and Mean Look strategy, but this time, Ash and Oshawott were ready. I turned my eyes back to Cilan.

"I don't even know." I said.

I told him about the night in the museum from my perspective: Reshiram visiting my dreams, the visions of Yamask and Minccino, and being able to see Yamask while it was invisible. I also told him the story of my dad. With each sentence I spoke, Cilan's eyes grew wider.

"What do you think this means?" he said.

"I don't know. Something? Anything?" I said. "...Everything?"

Cilan crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Maybe this all ties together."

"How?"

"What if there's common ground underneath the visions, the dreams, Minccino, your dad, and even Reshiram, as well as everything else that's been happening?"

I looked over at Minccino, who cheered alongside Iris, Pikachu, and Axew.

"If that's true, I'm scared to see the big picture." I said. "Do you really think there's something about my family that I don't know about?"

Cilan shrugged. "The only way you'll solve this is if you find out yourself." he said. "But I'm sure that whatever else may happen, you'll be strong enough to face those trials."

"Herdier is unable to battle!" Hawes said. "Which means the winner is Ash, the challenger!"

"All right!" Ash cried, jumping up and down.

Ash received the Basic Badge from Lenora and we headed over to the Pokémon Center.

"Hey, Cilan?" I said quietly to avoid bringing attention to myself. "Thanks."

Cilan looked over at me and smiled. "You're welcome. You're not the only one who's afraid of the future."

"Not for that." I said. "For letting me confide in you."

His smile widened. I smiled back and brought my eyes to the ground.


	9. Lost In More Ways Than One

We stood at the top of a rocky hill, looking down at the Pinwheel Forest.

"So, we just have to get through this and then Castelia City is on the other side, right?" Ash said.

"Yup. As long as we walk straight through it, that is." Cilan said. "But if we wander off, we could find ourselves in a natural maze."

"Whoa. We'd better be careful then."

"There's no way we're getting lost." Iris said. "I happen to be a forest expert!"

"Yeah, me too... of the forest at home." I said. "This one is enormous. Do you really think you can get us through this?"

"Of course! I also have my 6th sense!"

"You mean the one that got Cilan possessed by a Yamask mask?" Ash said.

Iris growled at Ash.

"Don't be such a kid, Ash! I know what I'm doing! Come on!" she said.

* * *

"It's kind of exciting being in here." I said, gazing up at the tangle of vines and tree branches above us. "Not knowing what lies ahead keeps you on your toes."

"Yeah, like what kind of Pokémon might be in here!" Ash said. "I hope we come across a whole bunch of them!"

Swinging in through the air like a miniature Tarzan, a Sewaddle came down and knocked Pikachu off of Ash's shoulder to the ground. Pikachu quickly regained himself and countered with Thunderbolt, but Sewaddle moved out of the way, hitting Ash instead.

"Are you okay, Ash?" Iris said.

"Yeah..." Ash groaned, collapsing to the ground.

Sewaddle kept up its attacks, sending a flurry of Razor Leaf at Pikachu. He dodged, but when he stopped, Sewaddle smashed into his face by using String Shot on his forehead. Ash shook off the Thunderbolt in time to see Sewaddle use Bug Bite on Pikachu. Pikachu thrashed around.

"Shake it off, Pikachu!" Ash said.

Pikachu grabbed Sewaddle and slammed it into the ground.

"Nice job, Pikachu!" Ash said. He pulled out an empty Pokémon. "I like this Sewaddle. I'm gonna catch it-"

As Ash pulled his arm back to throw the Poké Ball, Sewaddle sent a flurry of String Shot at Ash. Ash screamed and Sewaddle jumped back, laughing to itself and admiring its work.

"Uh... Ash?" I said.

Ash jumped to his feet, covered in a large ball of String Shot.

"Yeah! You're good, Sewaddle! I like you even more now!" he said.

Pikachu freed Ash with Iron Tail. He used Thunderbolt on Sewaddle, which hit, but then Sewaddle turned around and began to flee using String Shot to swing across the trees.

"Hey, wait!" Ash cried, chasing after it.

"Ash, you're going off the path!" I called.

"I guess we have no choice but to follow him..." Iris said.

We chased after Ash and Pikachu. As they ran, Ash tripped on the ground and face-planted.

"Ash, are you okay?" Cilan said.

"I'm fine..." Ash said, getting on his hands and knees. "But Sewaddle got away."

"I wonder what made Sewaddle attack Pikachu out of nowhere." I said.

Iris placed her hands on her hips. "Now what do we do, Ash?"

"Guess we'd better get on back on the path." Ash said, completely bummed.

* * *

"This is strange." Iris said. "We should be close to the exit by now."

"Maybe it's the wrong way." Ash said.

"No, it's right! My 6th sense has never failed me before!"

We all stared at her.

"You know what I mean! I just know!" Iris said, tapping her finger against her temple.

"More non-scientific explanations..." Cilan said.

"SHH!" Iris cried, straining her ear to the air. "I just heard the forest speak to me!"

Something grumbled and Ash planted his hand against his stomach.

"Sorry." he said sheepishly. "I'm really hungry."

"I think the forest's voice is speaking through Ash's stomach." I laughed.

"Don't be such smart alecks! I know the forest's voice when I hear it!" Iris said. "This way!"

Iris stomped off down the path. Ash, Cilan, and I exchanged glances and laughed quietly.

* * *

"Oopsie-doops..." Iris said.

We stood at the cliff of a giant rock chasm.

"Forest voice, huh?" Ash said.

"Uh, the forest told us to come here because... it wanted to show us this m-magnificent scenery!" Iris said.

"Whatever you say..." Cilan said. "I guess what they say about this forest is true. We got off the path for one second, and now we're lost!"

"The best thing to do in situations like this is to get to higher grounds and see where we are!" Iris said. "Over there!"

Iris pointed up at a huge tree that towered over the others. We headed over and stood at the base of the entanglement.

"Whoa..." Ash gaped. "What an enormous tree!"

"Rylee and I will go check it out!" Iris said.

I raised my eyebrows. "Uh, okay."

Iris and I ran towards the tree.

"I'm coming too!" Ash cried.

"Be careful!" Cilan said.

Iris and I climbed up the branches gracefully while Ash stumbled. We came to the top of the tree and looked out.

"Wow. What a pretty view." I said.

"Hm... maybe we should climb higher..." Iris said.

We all looked up and cried out when we saw a ball of green fabric dangling from a branch.

"What is THAT?!" Ash said.

The fabric separated, revealing a tall, lanky man with brown wavy hair and green eyes. He wore a green long-sleeved shirt, pink and black striped pants with a butterfly belt, and black shoes. He landed between us and held a finger to his lips.

"You don't want to scare the Pokémon, do you?" he said.

We gawked at him.

"Who are YOU?" I said.

I heard a snap and suddenly the branch underneath me gave way. I cried out as I went sliding down a giant root.

"Rylee!" Iris and Ash called.

I reached out and grabbed a branch that hung above me, nearly ripping my arm out of its socket from the sudden halt of momentum, and flipped into the air. I planted my feet against the root and continued sliding down.

"I'm fine, guys!" I said. "I'm okay-"

As I reached the bottom, I saw a flash of something small and green before it smacked into my face. I cried out, clutching my face in my hands, and tumbled to the ground.

"Ow..." I groaned.

"Rylee, are you okay?!" Cilan said, rushing over to me and helping me sit up.

"I think so."

"_Oops, sorry!_" a voice said.

The voice came from the little Sewaddle that dangled in front of me. I cried out, trying to scoot away while clutching my throbbing cheek.

"You... you just talked!" I said.

Sewaddle stared at me.

"_You understood me?_" it said.

"Rylee, what are you talking about?" Iris said as she, Ash, and the mysterious man climbed down to the base of the tree.

"Not you, the Sewaddle!" I said, pointing at the spot in the air where the bug Pokémon once dangled. However, Sewaddle had vanished. I groaned and laid back on the ground, rubbing my temples.

"You must've hit your head pretty hard on the way down." Ash said, hovering over me in my upside down view.

"But..."

Iris helped me up. "I think hunger is causing you to hallucinate. Let's get you something to eat."

I stared at the ground.

_Reshiram... why now?_ I thought. _Dad... I need your help._


	10. The Manly Butterfly

The questionably feminine man with the butterfly belt was Burgh, the Castelia Gym Leader. He told us he was in the forest because he was in search for "artistic inspiration" (Whatever that meant. I couldn't really understand him when he talked like Cilan does when he has one of his expressive moments.)

Ash somehow had an idea, and while he was getting excited, the Sewaddle from before came swinging in again and kicked him in the face.

"It's that Sewaddle again!" Iris said.

"You know this Sewaddle?" Burgh said.

"Yeah. We wandered off the path because I was trying to catch it." Ash said.

Sewaddle jumped up, leaping off Ash's head, and onto Burgh's shoulder.

"Sewaddle might be a bit stubborn, but it's actually a very sweet Pokémon." Burgh said.

"Yeah, sweet like a spoonful of rotten honey." I mumbled, crossing my arms.

"It's very important that a trainer gets to know a Pokémon before they catch it." Burgh said to Ash. "Would you like to join me?"

We agreed wholeheartedly and set up camp. While Cilan prepared supper, Ash, Iris, and I went with Burgh to get to know Sewaddle.

"In order to get to know a Pokémon, one must introduce themselves first." Burgh said. Burgh got down on his hands and knees and touched his forehead with Sewaddle's antennae. "Supposedly, they're able to distinguish people and things by using the two sensory knobs located on the top of their heads."

Pikachu followed suit, touching foreheads with Sewaddle, as well as Axew and Iris. However when Ash tried to do the same, Sewaddle head butted him. As he laid on the ground, Iris and I giggled.

"I guess that what you get for trying to catch it right off the bat!" Iris said.

"Rylee, you should say hello to Sewaddle as well." Burgh said.

_I thought that face tackle was hello enough._ I thought.

But I got down on my hands and knees.

"Hello, Sewaddle." I said, touching my forehead against the Pokémon.

* * *

_Images rushed into my mind. I was still in the Pinwheel Forest, but it was different._

_I saw a young man wandering through the forest, huffing and puffing as he trudged along the path._

_"Oh, great. Now how am I gonna get out of here?" he said._

_He continued walking, and when he stopped, he looked up and gazed at the giant tree in the center of the forest._

_"Well, it's getting dark. I should probably set up camp before nighttime comes."_

_He set up came and lit a small fire. He faced it, letting the flames dance in his eyes._

_"I guess getting a good night's rest is all I can do now." the man said. "I'm gonna need all the energy I can get if I wanna get out of here."_

"Who are you?"_ a voice said._

_The man cried out and looked around in a panic. His eyes settled on a little Sewaddle that crept up to him._

_"Oh, hello." he said. "You gave me a scare."_

"What are you doing here?"_ Sewaddle said._

_"I'm afraid I'm lost. I wandered off the path, and now I don't know where I am."_

_The Sewaddle was shocked._

"You... you understand me?"_ it said._

_The man nodded and Sewaddle's eyes widened._

"Wow! I've never met someone before who could talk to Pokémon!"_ it said._

_The man chuckled and stared at the fire. His eyes flushed with pain._

_"Well, you're gonna be meeting a lot more of me in the future." he said._

"Hey, I could help you find a way out of here."_ Sewaddle said._

_"Really?" the man said. He smiled. "Thank you."_

* * *

I gasped and jerked away as the images flushed from my mind, landing on my butt.

"Is something the matter, Rylee?" Iris said.

"Um... no." I said.

"It's nice to meet you, Sewaddle!" Ash said.

Sewaddle turned around and crept away.

"Off it goes! Bye bye!" Burgh said.

"Huh?" the three of us said.

* * *

We spent the time following Sewaddle around, watching him eat and nap. There was a bit of an incident where we ran into a few Woobats, but Ash and Sewaddle chased them off, which I guess earned Ash some respect points from Sewaddle.

When the sun set, we laid in our sleeping bags looking up at the clear night sky, talking about things. A few hours into the night, everyone was fast asleep. I laid wide awake in my sleeping bag, staring up at the leaves that rustled in the quiet wind. I peeled myself out of my sleeping bag and walked out to the edge of the treetop. I sat on a surfaced root and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. I heard a rustle in the leaves and Sewaddle approached me, crawling onto my lap.

"I see you're not tired either, huh?" I said. "I wish I could sleep..."

_"So you really can understand me?"_ Sewaddle said.

I nodded, which made Sewaddle jump with excitement.

_"Wow! It's been so long since I've seen someone like you!"_ it said.

"You mean someone who can talk to Pokémon, right? I said. Sewaddle nodded. "Who came before me?"

Sewaddle shifted. _"I can't really remember him... but he looked a lot like you." _it said. _"I recognize those green eyes."_

My spine tingled. Was the man from the vision my dad?

I smiled at Sewaddle. "We should both get some sleep." I said, petting its head.

Sewaddle yawned and curled up in my lap, immediately falling asleep. I picked it up and laid it next to Ash before crawling back into my sleeping bag and going to sleep.

* * *

For the first time in a while, I actually had a dream without visions or Reshiram or whatever.

Doesn't mean that it wasn't super strange.

I stood in the field similar to where I was with Iris and Ash yesterday. The clouds in the sky moved slowly. Something disturbed a patch of grass next to me. A black fox Pokémon came scurrying out and leaped onto my shoulder, yapping happily in my ear. I remember seeing it in Ash's Pokédex: it was a Zorua.

Zorua jumped from my shoulder and ran around in a circle in front of me, motioning for me to follow it. I did and we walked together across the field. We came up to a section of the field where the grass was at least seven feet high. Zorua stopped in front of the grass. Its previous happy bark was now a melancholic whimper, which matched the sad-eyed expression it wore. Zorua disappeared into the grass.

A new Pokémon emerged from the grass, a Gardevoir, but her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping. We both stood there, no one making a move or sound. My heart swelled at the sight of this beautiful Pokémon. Suddenly, her graceful body slumped forward and she began to fall to the ground. Seeming like slow motion, I reached out to catch her, but as my arms were about to encircle her, she evaporated into fragments of yellow light that lifted up into the sky. My hands kept going until they were clutching my stomach. I fell to my knees. I began to cry.

Scratch that. I was weeping profusely. But why?

As I knelt there, I felt the warm presence of a body next to me, as well as a hand on my shoulder. I looked and saw Cilan. He wore the same grieving expression as I did. Fresh streams of tears stained his cheeks as we knelt in silence.

His lips moved, producing no sound, but I knew the word he was mouthing.

"Mika."

I've never heard that name before, nor knew anyone who had it, and yet it managed to make me cry such bitter tears. His hand cradled my chin and he turned my head so I was looking at him. Our faces were mere inches away.

But in this sense of reality, it seemed natural.

He leaned in.

* * *

"Rylee! RYLEE!" a voice cried.

My eyes shot open and I sat up straight, only to connect foreheads with another person. I cried out and fell back, gripping my head as pain burned in my brain.

"Wow. What a wake up." Iris giggled.

I sat up again and saw Ash laying on the ground, groaning. I laughed, but it ended in a wince as pain throbbed in my forehead.

"Sorry, Ash." I said. "I was having... a really mysterious dream."

I couldn't bring myself to look at Cilan. Sewaddle jumped onto my lap and nuzzled my stomach.

"Looks like Sewaddle's taken a liking to you." Burgh said.

I petted Sewaddle's head.

"I appreciate it, Sewaddle, but do you know who would be a better trainer? Ash!" I said. "He's perfect for you. He'll take awesome care of you and make you so powerful!"

Sewaddle looked between me and Ash.

_"Really?"_ Sewaddle said.

I smiled and nodded. Sewaddle turned around and leaped onto Ash's free shoulder.

"Incredible! People and Pokémon coming together! Our two different worlds finding a sweet balance!" Burgh said. His face lit up and he pulled out a pad and pencil. "This is it! The inspiration I've been looking for! I must return to the Castelia Gym. I look forward to your challenge, Ash!"

"You bet!" Ash said as Burgh scurried away.

Sewaddle accepted Ash and entered the offered Poké Ball.

"That was really nice, what you did for Ash." Iris said.

"What can I say?" I said, smiling to myself. "It just spoke to me."


	11. I Have A Dream

Ash's new Sewaddle helped us find our way out of the Pinwheel Forest. It was nice to be on the road again, or at least know where we were going. I was curious about what Burgh's new inspiration was. As we journeyed, we met Georgia, a hot-headed Dragon Buster who immediately became Iris's rival. We learned that Iris had another Pokémon, Excadrill, who refused to listen to her orders and attacked when it got really ticked. But over the next few days, their relationship grew stronger, so the next time Georgia comes around, Iris will be ready.

I decided to record my visions and dreams. Maybe looking at them on paper would help me interpret them. I concluded that my visions were the memories of other people, and they only emerged through physical contact. The memories were of the past and present, and the thought of having visions of the future made me a little nervous.

The visits of Reshiram/my dad?... I'll get back to you on that.

But the dream I had in the Pinwheel Forest... could _that_ have depicted things that would happen in the future? After spending a good hour writing down my dream, I tried my best to connect the sequence of events that took place:

The Zorua:

It was so saddened when we came to the tall field of grass. Right after it disappeared inside it, the Gardevoir came out. Maybe they knew each other?

The Gardevoir:

Did _I_ know it? Am I going to meet one? Its eyes were closed as if sleeping, and she disappeared when I tried to catch her, resulting in me bawling like a baby. Maybe she had... died? Was I mourning her death?

Mika:

Never have I known or met someone with that name. Maybe its a nickname? The only name I could think of was Mikaela, but still I knew no one with that name. Both Gardevoir and this Mika made me so grief-stricken. Maybe they could be connected somehow? Maybe Mika passed away as well.

And finally, Cilan...

"Writing something interesting?" Cilan said, hovering over me and startling me into almost flinging my stuff everywhere spasmodically.

"Um..." I said. "I'm just writing down my visions and dreams. Maybe they have the answers within themselves."

Cilan sat next to me and gently took the journal from my hands. He opened the book and read my visions and dreams of Reshiram. He turned to the last written pages.

"What's this last one?" Cilan said.

I gulped and snatched the book away from him.

"Oh... I had a dream a while back..." I said. I looked down at the words. "Maybe you can help me."

I told him the parts with the Zorua, the Gardevoir, and the name Mika, avoiding the parts where he made his brief appearance.

After I finished telling him my dream, Cilan crossed his arms.

"So what do you think?" I said, resting my chin against my journal.

"Hmm..." Cilan said. "To be honest, this is very perplexing. I don't even know myself."

I sighed. "I'm so confused. First the visions, then I start talking to Pokémon, and now..."

"Wait, you talked to a Pokémon?" Cilan said, raising his eyebrow.

I nodded and told him about my view of the Pinwheel Forest maze, where I was able to talk to Ash's Sewaddle. I also told him about the vision I had where my dad spoke to it many years ago.

"Are you sure it was your dad?" Cilan said.

"Sewaddle told me that the last person who spoke to it had the same eyes as me." I said. "Do you really know anyone else who has this freakish form of sectoral heterochromia?"

"Fate works in extreme ways in your family. What was it he said to Sewaddle?"

"There would be more people like him in the future." I said. "I figured he was talking about me, but 'people' turns it into multiple. Is it possible that there are others that have my ability?"

"Or that will." Cilan said. "Your future generations could have your ability as well."

A blush crept onto my face at the memory of my dream's ending.

"Yeah... but I'm talking about now. More people like me that can talk to Pokémon? Have visions?" I rubbed my temples. "All this is making my brain hurt."

"Who knows? You're only going to get stronger, and with that more powers might surface." Cilan said. "Maybe someday you'll meet someone who has the same abilities as you."

I clutched my journal against my chest.

"Maybe... maybe I already have."

_Who knows? My mom is completely normal. So... what about Alyssa?_


	12. Inspiration and Aspiration

"Are my dreams the only way I'll get to see you?" I said. "Will I ever meet you again in person?"

Reshiram nodded and images washed over my mind, carrying me away from the black void. I stood in the midst of a bustling market town, lined with shops and crowds of people. The faces slowly blurred altogether as a large construction came into view; a huge castle standing tall on the top of a hill, shaped like a sword.

"What's that?" I said, my voice sounding echo-y.

_"Deep within that castle is where I lie."_ Reshiram said. _"My home... temporarily."_

"This is where I'll find you?"

_"Yes."_

I returned to the black void with Reshiram.

_"I hope to see you soon, Rylee."_ Reshiram said.

"Me too..." I said. I turned around and paused. "...Dad?"

I held my breath as my peripheral vision began to glow brightly. I turned around and the man with those recognizable eyes stood there. I breathed deeply.

"I miss you." I said.

Dad smiled softly. "I miss you too, kiddo." he said.

* * *

I woke up and felt damp spots on my pillow. I sat up and stretched my arms, welcoming a fresh wave of morning air into my lungs. I crept out of my sleeping bag and changed clothes from the security of a large bush. I walked through the tree patches and listened quietly to the laughter of the forest as the wind gently tickled its way through.

Another rustle came from a bush and a purple cat Pokémon strolled out of the bush.

"A Purrloin, huh?" I crouched down. Purrloin slithered around me once before sitting in front of me. Its green eyes scanned me, twinkling with judgement. "What's a Pokémon like you doing here?"

_"What's a human like _you_ doing here?"_ Purrloin snapped with a smirk.

"Wow, I guess I struck a nerve there."

Purrloin flinched in shock before quickly regaining itself.

_"Interesting..."_ Purrloin said. _"I've never met a human who could understand me before. I guess there's a first for everything."_

"So, since we're on the same page, how about an answer to my question?" I said. "What are you doing here?"

_"Reasons. None of which are your business. I say that in the nicest way possible."_

"Understood."

I reached out and scratched its ear. Images flashed across my mind, but they were too blurry for me to see anything. The vision vanished and I pulled my hand away.

"Well, I better get going." I said.

I stood up and walked away, waving to Purrloin. As it disappeared into a bush, a strange tingle erupted in my stomach. This would not be the last time I would see that Purrloin.

* * *

Everyone was awake when I returned.

"There you are, Rylee." Iris said, trying to start a fire. "Where have you been?"

"Just out for a stroll, that's all." I said, pulling out a small bag of berries and handing them to Cilan as he bustled around to get breakfast ready.

"Iris, would you hurry up with that fire?! I'm freezing!" Ash said, shivering inside his sleeping bag.

"All right, all right! Be patient!" Iris grumbled, rubbing two sticks together until they produced smoke.

I never took to consideration of how cold it was. My body felt numb, save a single cold spot from my Poké Ball necklace that laid on my decolletage. I touched it lightly.

* * *

We arrived at the Castelia Gym, where Ash challenged Burgh. His new Sewaddle evolved into Swadloon, which helped him claim victory and receive his third gym badge.

"Oh, Rylee." Burgh said after the battle. He handed me a picture sketched from a black pen and light colors painted in between. "You were such a big help with my inspiration! You must have this!"

I studied the picture. I sat with several small Pokémon surrounding me. Sewaddle was in my hands, and I had a big grin on my face with my mouth open, like I was talking to it. Pansage laid on its stomach with its head propped up with his paws, as if he was listening to me. Pikachu nestled on my shoulder and Axew sat next to Pansage. My eyes stopped on the fifth Pokémon in the sketch.

"Burgh, what's that on my lap?" I said.

"Oh, that's a Zorua," Burgh said. "I can't put my finger on it, but something was telling me to put it in the picture. Is that okay?"

I stared at the Zorua until my eyes began to blur.

"Uh, yeah... it's fine." I said. "Thank you, Burgh. It's beautiful."

I said goodbye to Burgh and showed the picture to my friends. Everyone stared at the Zorua, looking as confused as I was.

_Why would Burgh put Zorua in the picture and not Minccino?_

Suddenly, my skin felt cold. I thought back to when I was sifting through Ash's Pokédex. I could practically quote Zorua's description:

_The Tricky Fox Pokémon. Zorua keeps its true form hidden to ensure its safety, and takes on the appearance of other Pokémon to frighten off enemies._

I looked at Minccino, who looked up at me with her sparkling brown eyes.

"_What you see is the truth_." Dad's words echoed in my head.

I closed my eyes and felt them suddenly grow warm. I opened my eyes and jumped. Standing in Minccino's place, a Zorua looked at me, grinning mischievously with a glowing purple contour. It was the same Zorua from my dream.

I blinked quickly and shook my head. Minccino stood again, but her eyes were now as big as dinner plates with a side of shock.

* * *

"Dad, I need your help with something." I said. "It's about the dreams I've had."

"_Yes, I suppose they might be confusing, but I will do my best to explain._" Reshiram said.

"I just want to know what they mean: the dreams, the visions, your appearances... Not that I don't enjoy them or anything." I added quickly.

Reshiram smiled and lifted his wing. One by one, my visions appeared in front of me like a mirror.

"_These visions you see are a person's memories. So far, you are able to receive them only through physical contact, but as you develop your powers, you will be more capable of accessing a person's brain. Soon you'll be able to see into their minds and transferring your thoughts into theirs with just a single glance._" he said.

I shuddered at the thought of knowing a person's whole life story just by laying my eyes on them. And them knowing mine.

"_Visions tell of the past, present, and even the future._" Reshiram continued. "_However, visions of the future are not set in stone. The future can be changed by even the slightest alteration of the present. It is the same for your dreams._"

My face dropped as I watched my dream play in front of me again: Zorua, Gardevoir, Cilan, and "Mica". I looked to my dad to see if he had any clue, but his face didn't show anything. As the ending of my dream came, I watched as Cilan and I both leaned towards each other. I swiped my hand over the mirror image and the picture vanished.

"So, why have you been visiting my dreams?" I said. I hesitated. "Why did you leave?"

Reshiram bowed his head slightly. "_Your mother and I were worried about you, for we both knew who you inherited the most from. I agreed to leave and wait until your powers started to show._"

"Wait a minute... you _agreed_ to leave? You _chose_ to leave us?!" The back of my eyes grew warm.

"_Rylee... what I did was for your own good._"

"But you're my FATHER! I had to grow up without you! I needed you and you turned your back on me!"

"_Rylee!_"

"Do you know how many times I asked mom about you? Every time she lied to me, but I could see the hurt in her eyes. When I was scared and cried for you, you weren't there! You _abandoned_ me!"

The last phrase hung in the air. My eyes were hotter than ever. Reshiram's green eyes filled with pain. I turned away, feeling my eyes cool down.

"_Rylee..._" Reshiram said.

"No. Please. Just go." I murmured.

There was a loud clap and a flash of light.


	13. The Sword in the Vale

The area was lit up with blinding light. Thunder rolled over like a steam roller. My heart pounded to the beat of the sky's noise. FLASH. CRASH. FLASH. CRASH. My breathing picked up to the point of hyperventilation. I grabbed my blanket and found slight comfort in a giant hollow tree, so great I could lay four of me across the floor. I wrapped myself tightly in my blanket and proceeded with a pattern of shivers and jumps from the cold and the angry sky.

"Rylee?" a voice mumbled.

My head snapped up and I squinted at the light shining on me. Past the light, I could see a dark silhouette standing at the entrance of the tree. The light moved until it shone on the person's face.

"Cilan." I said.

Cilan turned off the light and entered the tree.

"What are you doing here?" he said. His tired eyes showed concern for me.

"The thunder woke me..." I said.

CRASH! I gasped and covered my ears until the rumbling subsided.

"Are you afraid of thunder and lightning?" Cilan said.

_I wouldn't be if my dad bothered to be a part of my childhood._ Bitterness churned in my stomach as I recalled my dream.

FLASH! CRASH! I whimpered and pressed my hands against my ears tightly.

"Make it stop!" I yelped. Tears fought their way to my eyes.

A pair of warm hands rested on my shoulders. I glanced up to see Cilan sitting at my side, his eyes fixated on the lightning flashes. The feeling of his presence calmed me.

* * *

_A vision swept over my mind like a tsunami. I was back in the infirmary in the Pokémon Center. It was the night of the incident. I laid in the bed asleep. I could see patches of deep red blemishing my skin underneath the gown. Cilan sat in a chair beside me. He leaned forward, his elbows against his knees. He held his hands together tightly and his leg shook rapidly. His eyes showed worry and distress._

_The door opened and Iris entered the room._

_"Cilan, are you okay?" she said._

_Cilan was quiet. Iris sat next to him._

_"You know, Rylee getting hurt wasn't your fault..." she said quietly._

_"But... I could've prevented this..." Cilan said. "What else is there to feel but guilt?"_

_Iris rested a hand on his shoulder._

_"You need to learn to forgive yourself. You were possessed by a mask, for heaven's sake!" she said. "Rylee will be fine. I promise."_

_Cilan looked up at my sleeping self and nodded slightly._

_"Thank you, Iris." he said._

_Iris smiled. "Now go get some sleep. Please. I'll watch Rylee and I'll let you know when she wakes."_

_Cilan stood up and walked to the door. He paused and stole one more glimpse of my wounded body before leaving the room._

* * *

The vision washed away as smoothly as the rain that began to pour outside. A small smile crept on my face and I settled back against the smooth inner bark of the hollow tree. The thunder and lightning dulled away with each breath I took.

* * *

"Wake-y, wake-y, sleepyheads!" a voice said.

I opened my eyes and they focused on Iris, who stood at the tree entrance with her hands on her hips and a teasing smile on her face.

"You two seem to be comfy." she giggled.

_Two?_

I felt something shift underneath my head.

_Uh oh._

I took in my surroundings. My head was now finding comfort on Cilan's shoulder. His arm had dropped and settled around my waist.

Never before have I screamed so loudly.

Cilan and I fell away from each other, filling the air with our mortified shrieks. I scrambled out of the tree and hurried away, trying to squash the tomatoes that surfaces under my cheeks, their heat in direct contrast to the cold metal of my necklace.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" Ash said as we packed up.

"Nothing." Iris said, and I was at least comforted to know she wasn't a blabbermouth.

"So, where are we off to next?" I said, keeping my focus on tackling my sleeping bag.

Cilan looked at his map.

"The closest gym is the Nimbasa City Gym." he said. "But there's a village that's not too far away. They say there's a castle there."

I sat up straight.

"A castle?" I said. I jumped to my feet and snatched away Cilan's map to get a closer look.

"It's call Eindoak Town." Cilan said. "They say the castle's filled with mysteries. There's a rumor that you can find legendary Pokémon in there."

"Legendary Pokémon?" Ash cried. "Let's go there!"

I agreed silently as anticipation bubbled in my stomach.

* * *

The village was exactly how Dad showed it to me. I took in the clear blue sky and the crowded market street, but just like in my dream, they all blurred away and my focus was directed to the castle in the distance. I felt a tug in my chest urging me to go towards it, like it was a giant magnet and I was a tin can.

"Rylee?" Iris gripped my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I realized I had walked straight through the town and stood at the base of the winding trail that lead up to the castle. My friends had followed me.

"Yeah..." I said. "Hey, we should go check out the castle. Remember what Cilan said? We could run into some legendary Pokémon."

"Oh, yeah!" Ash said. "Let's check it out!"

I silently thanked Ash for his childish curiosity.

* * *

The castle was like any of its other rundown brothers: dirty and dusty with stale 16th century furniture. Ash took a book from a shelf and blew on the cover. A cloud of dust erupted into the air and he let out a sneeze.

"Oh yeah..." Iris mumbled. "Legendary Pokémon _love_ to hang out here. Do they go to the junkyard for vacation?"

I rolled my eyes and ran my hand along the rough bricks. Reaching a certain area, a voice whispered in my mind saying there was something hidden here. I lingered in that part of the wall and examined it. I ran my hand over the brick again and realized a curvature in the wall. I traced the outline of a hand. I lined my hand with the curving, even though my hand was smaller. My breath caught in my throat as my hand glowed light green, lighting up the printing as well, followed by a low rumble. I stepped back and watched as the green light spread out over the wall and made an outline of a door. The wall dissolved, revealing a brightness of blue and dark purple.

"Guys..." I said. "I think I found something."

We walked through the doorway and looked around. The area was huge with bright, electric blue pulsing along the walls and branch-like pathways. Minccino walked forward and sniffed the air. She looked forward and began treading carefully.

"Minccino!" Ash said, but I held my arm out in front of him.

"Stop." I said. "She knows what she's doing."

My friends watched me, but I ignored them and followed Minccino. It seemed easy, watching Minccino weave through while we tried to follow. But I kept looking down the dark abyss. I could hear the voice again beckon to me. The urge to go down there was so strong.

"Rylee!" a voice cried.

As I snapped back, I felt something grab my arm and yank me back.

"What are you doing?!" Iris said, squeezing my arm with her hands.

"Sorry, but..." I said. "I feel like this place is calling to me. It wants me to go to the bottom."

"Well, we'll do that by _walking_ down and not jumping over." Iris said.

Minccino's tail went stick straight. She zoomed over to me, tore up my shoulder and chattered loudly in my ear.

"What, Minccino?" I said.

Minccino's eyes flared with annoyance and she forced my head to look up. The ceiling began to quake and a large boulder broke away and fell towards us. My eyes widened as the calculations of the rock's fall would result in 3 very sad funerals.

"Guys, look out!" I cried.

I ran forward and shoved everyone out of the way. The rock came smashing down just a few inches in front of me, and the impact sent my flying back and over the edge.

"Rylee!" Iris, Cilan, and Ash cried.

* * *

~IRIS~

"Oh, my gosh, Rylee!" I cried as she went tumbling over the edge.

Ash scrambled to his feet and ran over to the edge. He jumped.

"Ash! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I said, running over to look into the darkness.

Cilan put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back.

"It's not safe." he said. "We need to leave."

"But what about Ash and Rylee?" I said.

Cilan looked down into the abyss and nodded ever so slightly.

"They'll be fine." he said. "Come on."


	14. Sworn Testimony

I suspected this was what death must feel like: dark, quiet, and spooky. That is until I saw streams of purple glow behind my eyelids and something nudged my arm. I lifted my head and met my eyes with Minccino. I looked around, but all I could see was pulsing purple shimmering in veins on the walls. I touched the smooth, rocky ground.

"Where am I?" I said. I looked at Minccino. "How is it that I can communicate with every Pokémon I've met except you?"

Minccino's mouth twitched up into a mischievous little smile.

"_You always could._" she said. "_I'm just good at keeping my mouth shut._"

I raised my eyebrow and sat up.

"Since you been walking around this place with such confidence, can you tell me where we are?" I said.

Minccino turned her head and her ears perked up.

"_He's here._" she said.

"He? He who?" I said.

Minccino glared at me.

"_Don George._" she retorted. "_Who do you think?! Come on, follow me!_"

I stoop up and we walked together through the purple and black abyss. We walked until we came across a miniature hill. The top curved in, allowing the perfect resting place for a white round egg-like stone the size of a basketball. Minccino's eyes brightened and she scurried over to the stone. She circled it three times before turning back to me. I walked over and examined the stone, fear and hope have a nasty battle inside of me.

"Dad?" I said as I lightly caressed the stone.

It began to shimmer and I pulled my hand back in surprise. It radiated a white light and floated up in the air. It began to change, growing bigger as it shifted into something: A human silhouette. The silvery color faded as clothes and skin colors replaced it. A pair of unmistakable green eyes smiled at me, along with a full grin.

"Dad..." I said. I ran forward into his arms. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I understand." Dad pulled away and gripped my shoulders. He studied my face and smiled. "You've grown up so much."

I wiped my eyes.

"I have... a _lot_ of things to ask you." I said.

"And there is a lot to tell you." Dad said.

There was a pause. I opened my mouth, hesitating with the words.

"Dad... what are we?"

Dad reeled back in surprise.

"What do you mean?" he said.

"I had a vision when I was in the Pinwheel Forest. Ash's Sewaddle was the same one you spoke to years ago. You told it there were many of your kind and there would be more in the future." I said. "We have such strange abilities that no human being has. Only Pokémon... so does that mean I'm not human?"

Dad let go of my shoulders.

"You are human, Rylee... just not 100% human." he said.

"What's that supposed to mean? If I'm not completely human, what else am I?"

"When I first met your mother, she didn't know of who or what I was. When she finally did, she learned to accept that and not let that get in the way of us." he said. "We assumed that none of our children would inherit my side... and then you were born. Born in the form... of a Pokémon. But after a few hours, you were crying and breathing as a human baby."

"I was born... as a Pokémon?" I said. "So that means...?"

"You are half-human, inherited from your mother, and half-Pokémon, from me."

This sudden discovery came so quickly, I thought I would collapse. My visions, the Pokémon Center incident, and the sudden ability to talk to Pokémon made sense, but there were too many things that I still didn't understand.

"What Pokémon?" I said. "What's my true form?"

Dad's face relaxed, relieved that I was taking this well. I guess he feared this would go a different direction. He extended his hand and an image floated before us. I saw Mom resting in a hospital bed. She cradled a bundle wrapped up in a pink blanket. Looking closer, I could see a pair of small, green-tipped antennae peeking out into the air. I moved closer and cried out. Purple eyes blinked back at Mom, taking in the surroundings with confused astonishment. A small, delicate, and green Pokémon. I remembered seeing this Pokémon in Ash's Pokédex.

"Celebi." I said. "I'm... a Celebi?"

Dad nodded and waved his hand, washing away the images and replacing them with a mirror.

"You have inherited my eyes." he said. "Able to detect the truth in things normal people or Pokémon cannot see."

I stepped closer to the mirror and stared at my eyes: The ring of purple circling around my pupil and small flecks dotting around the irises.

_Irises... Iris. Ash. Cilan._

"My friends!" I cried. "Where are they?"

Dad put a hand on my shoulder.

"Iris and Cilan returned to the castle, but it seems someone followed you down here." he said.

"Ash." I said. "Is he okay?"

"Yes, he is. And you are too, thanks to a certain friend."

Minccino stood next to Dad, but refused to meet my eyes. Her ears drooped slightly against her face, as if she were hiding from me.

"Is that so, Minccino?" I said. I smiled. "Or should I say... Zorua?"

Minccino perked up at me.

_"Thank goodness you finally figured it out!_" she said. "_I thought I would be stuck like this forever!_"

She jumped into the air and became engulfed by a magenta light. She landed on the ground as Zorua, bearing a wicked grin.

"Rylee?" a voice called. "Rylee, where are you?"

Ash.

"I think that's your cue." Dad said.

"Wait. Is there anything else I need to know?" I said.

Dad smiled. "Yes, since you are a Pokémon, you have the ability to use Pokémon moves."

I grinned. "Great."

"One more thing." Dad said, and his face grew serious. "There are many bad people in this world who know of people like me and you, and they want to capture you and use you for their wicked schemes. You must be careful on your journey, especially since you are now aware of who you are."

"I will." I said. "Will I see you again?"

"In due time, Rylee." Dad said. "Say hello to your mother for me?"

I nodded and embraced him.

"Goodbye, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart." Dad kissed the top of my head.

Zorua climbed onto my shoulder. I turned around and walked away as a bright light glitter behind me. We walked in darkness until I saw something yellow igniting among the purple.

"Ash!" I called.

Ash turned around and sighed in relief.

"Rylee, there you are." he said. He looked at Zorua in confusion. "Where's Minccino?"

Zorua and I looked at each other.

"I'll explain everything later, but for now we need to get out of here and find Cilan and Iris." I said.

A set of stairs grew out from the ground. As we climbed, I felt as if I had just woken up from a long sleep. I felt energized. Refreshed. Empowered. I smiled and the back of my eyes warmed up. I stopped and looked at myself in the reflection of the glowing wall. My eyes glowed a sparkling purple.

* * *

Iris and Cilan were relieved to see Ash and I come out from the tunnels. I told them everything about the meet with my father and who, or what, I really was. When I finished, my friends stared at me. I fidgeted uncomfortably.

"So, let me get this straight..." Iris said. "Your father is Reshiram, your Minccino is really a Zorua, and you are half Pokémon, your true form being Celebi. Not to mention that there are bad people in the world that want to capture you and your dad and use your powers for evil?"

I shrugged. "To sum it up."

"That is the coolest thing ever!" Ash cried, jumping to his feet. "So, can you use Pokémon moves? Can you turn into Celebi for us? Can you take me to meet the legendary trio?!"

I stepped back, self-consciously reaching up to touch my necklace.

"Ash, calm down. I just learned this today, and I haven't exactly mastered everything in a heartbeat..." I said. "I need time to absorb things... These powers I have are going to take a while to develop."

My mind flashed back to when I saw myself as a baby. I spent my first hours of life as a legendary Pokémon. The thought of me suddenly growing antennae made me shudder.

But still... I had the feeling what Dad told me wasn't the whole story. There's still so much for me to learn about who I am... and what I am.

We walked out of the castle into the fresh air. The sky was tinted pink and orange. The cold prickled my arms.

"It's getting late. Let's go find a Pokémon Center." Cilan said.

Everything hit me at once and I realized how exhausted I was. I leaned against the stone ledge and closed my eyes. My fingers tingled and the tips buzzed. I lifted my hand.

_I am able to use Pokémon moves. But I wonder which ones..._

I stood up straight and shot my hand out, stretching my fingers away from one another. A shield of teal enveloped in front of me. Keeping my arm extended, I picked up a rock and threw it at it. It bounced off the material. I settled my arm back to my side and the shield disappeared.

_Protect. What else?_

"Rylee!" Iris called from the bottom of the trail. "Come on, we gotta go!"

"Coming!" I called.

I ran down the path to my friends. At the base of the trail, I looked back up at the castle and smiled to myself.

"See you soon, Dad."


	15. Sisters By Chance, Enemies By Choice

"Guys, guess what?!" Ash said. "There's a Pokémon tournament here! I'm so going to enter!"

"That does sound interesting..." Cilan said.

"Let's all enter!" I said. "It'll be fun!"

"Okay, but don't be upset when I beat you all!" Iris smirked.

We walked to the Battle Club and got paperwork. I looked at the information and stopped.

**PLEASE LIST THE THREE POKéMON YOU WILL BE USING IN THE TOURNAMENT.**

_Three?_ I glanced at Zorua.

I looked to Ash, who was scurrying to get his registration done.

"Hey, Ash?" I said. "How many Pokémon do you have?"

"Six." he said.

"What Pokémon are you gonna use for the tournament?"

Ash looked up at me.

"I'm not telling you. Why these questions?"

"I, uh, need to borrow one." I said. "I only have Zorua and Leavanny."

"Only two?"

"Yes..." I reached up and held my necklace.

"Okay, then." Ash handed me a PokéBall. "You can use Tranquill."

"Thanks, Ash." I said.

While we signed in, I met friends of Ash, Cilan and Iris: Tripp, Georgia, Stephan, Bianca, and Burgundy.

"Georgia is such a little kid." Iris grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Iris." I said. "Rivalry is healthy. Besides, how bad could it be?"

"Yeah, Rylee, how bad _could_ it be?" a voice said.

I gulped._ It can't be._ The warning bells in my head were going off, but I turned around. Standing there was a girl a few inches taller than me. She had blond hair curled in wavy ringlets and side bangs that swept across her forehead. A single blue streak blemished her bangs. Her hazel eyes looked amused at the sight of me, and not in a good way. She wore black jeans, light blue tennis shoes, and a light blue button up shirt with black lining on the collar and edges of the shirt. Over it she wore a white bolero jacket. She stood there with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

"Alyssa." I said. A mixture of speechlessness and anger washed over me.

"Who's Alyssa?" Cilan said.

Alyssa looked at Cilan and her eyes lit up flirtatiously.

"I've heard a lot about you. I can't believe Rylee hasn't mentioned me to you!" she said. "You're even cuter in person."

My eyes glowed purple and I clenched my fists. I stole a glance at Cilan, who wore a blank expression on his face.

"Alyssa, this is Cilan, Iris, and Ash." I said. "Guys, this is Alyssa... my sister."

I could practically hear the sound of their eyes popping out of their heads.

"Your sister?!" they said in unison.

"I know, shocking, right?" Alyssa said. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Hard to believe she's related to me."

"More like the other way around." Iris mumbled.

"So, Alyssa, what are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"I'm entering the Pokémon tournament, of course!" Alyssa said. "My Pokémon could use the exercise. Rylee, why can't you have more elegant Pokémon?"

I glared at her, trying to figure out if one of my powers is shutting her up.

"Well, I think Leavanny is pretty elegant." Cilan said.

Alyssa let out a laugh and touched Cilan's arm. I could feel steam coming out of my ears.

"I don't mean Leavanny, silly, I'm talking about-!"

Suddenly, Zorua jumped up to Alyssa. She cried out in surprise.

"A Zorua? Wow, Rylee, I'm impressed..." Alyssa pulled out three PokéBalls and held them in the crevasses of her fingers. "But you'll never be good enough to beat me."

Alyssa tossed her hair once more and walked to registration.

"Wow..." Cilan said. "She's... intriguing."

I growled. "Who does she think she is, coming here and trying to make me into a fool?!"

"Come on, Rylee. Rivalry is healthy!" Iris said in a mocking tone. "Besides, how hard can it be?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling some of my frustration wash away.

"Attention, all tournament contestants." the announcer said over the intercom. "Please make your way to the battlegrounds. The tournament will begin shortly."

We obeyed and made out way to the battle ground. Trainers from all over the region were here. They assigned us our rooms. Hundreds of people piled into the stadiums. We set our stuff in our rooms before going out to the field. The announcer, Freddy "The Scoop", welcomed everyone and the trainers were paired. I was to battle Burgundy. I looked for her in the crowds and when our eyes met, she scoffed.

"Beating you will take no time at all." she muttered. She pointed an accusing finger at Cilan. "All I care about is proving my skills and squashing Cilan to the ground!"

"I can't hardly wait." Cilan laughed nervously.

* * *

Burgundy and I stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. Burgundy sent out Dewott and I sent out Tranquill.

"Let's prove to her _our_ skills." I said.

Tranquill flapped her wings.

"_With pleasure._" she said.

"Dewott, use Razor Shell!"

Dewott pulled out the two shells strapped to its waist and sheer blue blades grew from them. It charged at Tranquill.

"Tranquill, dodge and use Air Cutter!"

Tranquill flew up higher and flapped its wings, creating the attack. It smacked into Dewott and it flew back onto the ground.

"Air Cutter again!"

Tranquill landed another attack, this one knocking out Dewott.

"Dewott is unable to battle!" the referee said. "Which means Rylee and Tranquill are the winners!"

"NO!" Burgundy stomped her foot against the battleground in frustration, called Dewott back to its PokéBall, and stormed off to the exit.

"Good job, Tranquill." I said, kneeling down to her level.

"_No problem._" she said. "_That girl always got on my nerves._"

I chuckled and returned Tranquill to her PokéBall. I left the arena, where my friends waited for me.

"Great battle, Rylee." Ash said. "You and Tranquill worked really well together."

"Thanks." I said.

"Not bad for your first battle," Alyssa walked past us. "but you still have a long way to go."

I sighed.

"Is it bad I'm hoping she gets crushed in her battle?" I said.

"_I was thinking the same thing..._" Zorua mumbled.

* * *

The first round of the tournament was over. We all made it past the first round, "we" sadly including Alyssa as well. The good news was she wasn't staying with us. The four of us got our supper and sat at a table. Ash spoke excitedly about his strategy that he used today and the other trainers. I listened vaguely and stared at my plate of food. As delicious as it looked, my appetite was gone.

"Are you okay, Rylee?" Cilan said.

I sighed. "No, not really."

"Is this about your sister?" Iris said.

"Of course it is!" I crossed my arms. "I see right through her. She only entered this tournament because she's after something..."

"That can't be true..." Cilan said.

"You haven't live with her for 16 years."

"_It is true._" Zorua said, hopping onto the table and sitting beside my dinner plate. "_I've been one of those reasons. Alyssa once made a bet with Rylee, and whoever won it won me._"

"I refused of course, even though it was the stupidest bet ever and I would've won no matter how many times she cheated. I would never give away Zorua like that." I said. "Alyssa will do anything to get what she wants."

"Well, the question now is, if she doesn't want to be in the tournament for obvious reasons, what does she want?" Cilan said.

I looked at Cilan said gulped. The word caught in my throat and made it hard for me to breathe.

_"I figured too."_ Zorua said through Telepathy. _"I saw the way she looked at him..."_

"I don't know what Alyssa's after..." I said, standing up. The insides of my elbows were damp with sweat. "But I do know that whatever it is, I'll _never_ let her have it."

* * *

"_We have to talk to your dad._" Zorua said.

"I know." I said. "But I can't sleep."

"_You know there are more ways to communicate with him than through sleep._" Zorua said.

"Really? What?"

Zorua jumped onto my lap.

"_Close your eyes._"

I obeyed.

"_Now take a deep breath and call out to your father._"

I did as I was instructed, calling out to Dad in my mind. Suddenly, I felt like my soul was ripped out of my body. I opened my eyes, but it was a familiar darkness I recognized from many times before.

"_Good job._" Zorua said. Her voice sounded echo-y.

I looked down at my body and saw that it was all light blue: skin, clothes, and hair. Looking at my reflection in the wall, I could see my eyes glowed purple, yet there was no warmth in the back of my eyes.

We walked through the dimmed area until I saw something glowing in the distance. I picked up the pace until I was again face to face with Dad.

"Zorua, I see you taught Rylee how to soul travel." he said. It made sense since he was in full color while I wasn't.

"Dad, we have a problem." I said. "It's Alyssa."

Dad's smile faded.

"Yes... Alyssa."

"She entered the Battle Club tournament, and I know winning isn't the only thing she wants."

"Yes... even from infancy, your mother ad I knew Alyssa would be... complicating."

"I think she wants to steal Cilan away from me..."

Dad raised his eyebrow at me.

"And Ash and Iris." I said quickly. "My friends aren't used to her cunning ways, and I'm afraid..."

"Rylee." Dad put a hand on my shoulder. "You need to trust your friends. They are smarter than Alyssa thinks they are, but you need to believe in them."

I sighed. "You're right. There's no way Alyssa will take them from me. Not as long as I'm around."

Dad smiled and removed his hand from my shoulder. He stepped back and began to glow.

"Oh, wait. There's something I need to ask." I said.

"Yes? What is it?" Dad said.

I took a deep breath and touch my PokéBall necklace.

"Does Alyssa have my powers as well? Is she like me?" I said.

Dad's face dropped. He gulped, causing his Adam's Apple to bob nervously.

"No." he said. "She is in fact the exact opposite."

* * *

I opened my eyes and my friends had gathered around me.

"Is something wrong?" I said.

"Uh, how about the fact that we've tried to wake you for the past ten minutes!" Iris said.

"It was so weird!" Ash said. "I reach out to touch you, and suddenly you were shielded by Protect!"

I looked to Zorua.

"_It's an instinctive security system in your brain._" Zorua said. "_When your mind enters the Cataclysm of Dreams, the place we were just in, your body is left here while your spirit and conscience are somewhere else, so you feel like you're in a dream. Because you can't control what's happening in the real world, people could move your body without you knowing, so your brain triggers your Pokémon moves, in this case being Protect since that's what you know so far, and it's practically invincible._"

I sighed. "Every time I think I understand one thing, I learn something else twice as bizarre." I said.

"Let's sleep on it. It is getting late." Cilan said.

I lingered my gaze on him. Remembering what Dad told me, I felt my energy drain. Zorua looked up at me and nuzzled her nose assuringly into my arm. I petted the top of her head and watched Ash and Cilan leave to their room.


	16. Battling for Two

The second day of the battle tournament meant even more excitement buzzing among the trainers and spectators. After breakfast we walked down the hallway towards the battlefield.

"Cilan!" Alyssa hurried over and linked her arm with his. Her hip bumped into mine and I fell into Iris. "Are you ready for day two of battling? I hope we get paired today."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see." Cilan said

Alyssa smiled and giggled.

"You all right, Rylee?" Iris said.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" I mumbled.

I sat in between Iris and Cilan and the scoreboard lit up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your attention to the screen as we show you our matches for today." Freddy "The Scoop" said.

Cards with the remaining trainers' faces appeared on the screen. They all flipped over and swirled together in a mass of maroon. The cards were paired in twos and they flipped around.

My face flushed of color. Alyssa let out a giddy laugh.

"Look at that!" she said. "I guess I can foresee the future!"

I stared at Cilan and Alyssa's faces as their cards floated on the screen side-by-side.

"A mere stroke of luck. But let's see how it fares on the battlefield." Cilan said.

Alyssa raised her eyebrow and smirked. "I look forward to that."

Alyssa stood up and exited the bleachers. I sighed.

The battles were flying by in my opinion. I didn't bother to pay attention, but instead found a patch on the battlefield that I stared at for an unhealthy amount of time. Alyssa and Cilan's match soon would take place, so Cilan left to get ready. As the battle before them started, I snuck out of the bleachers into the hallway. Cilan stood at the gate leading to the battlefield.

"Hi, Rylee." Cilan said when he saw me.

"Hi." I said.

"Good luck on your battle with Trip."

_That's right. I had been so distracted by Alyssa that I didn't look at who I was battling._

"Thanks." I said. There was a pause. "Cilan... please be careful."

"Do you mean your sister?" Cilan said.

"Yes. My sister can be very manipulative."

"I know-"

I interrupted him by letting out a frustrated grunt.

"That's just it! You _don't _know! You don't know what my monster of a sister is capable of!" I cried. My voice bounced off the walls. Cilan stared at me and I took a deep breath. "My sister is smart. I know what she is after from this tournament. She wants to win, but... she also wants to take you, Ash, and Iris away from me."

Cilan's eyes widened.

"I don't know so much about Iris and Ash, but I know she wants to charm you away. You may think she won't get to you, but she's a master at manipulation and persuasion. I don't even know where she got it from. So please, Cilan. Please be careful."

Cilan stepped closer to me and placed his hands on my shoulders.

"I will. I promise." Cilan said. "There is one thing that no one, not even Alyssa, can make me doubt, second guess, or change my mind about."

"What's that?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the battlefield our next match, Cilan and Alyssa!" Freddy's voice pierced through the speakers.

Cilan and I looked to the tunnel end then back at each other. Cilan smiled and pulled me into a hug. I reeled back in surprise for a moment before returning the hug.

Cilan pulled away and smiled at me.

"I'll beat Alyssa." Cilan said. "Just for you."

I smiled back, hoping he couldn't see my cheeks redden like tomatoes.

"Thank you. Good luck."

Cilan turned around and walked out to the battlefield. I looked down at my feet and tried to soak in what just happened.

* * *

I returned to the sidelines with Iris and Ash. Alyssa and Cilan stood at opposite ends of the battlefield.

"Pansage, let's go!"

Cilan pulled out a PokéBall and threw it in the air. It opened and Pansage morphed onto the field, letting out an excited cry.

"What an adorable Pokémon!" Alyssa gushed. "Now it's my turn."

Alyssa pulled out a PokéBall and threw it into the air. It opened and out came Purrloin. Cilan reeled back.

"A... a Purrloin?!" Cilan yelped.

I raised my eyebrow. "Cilan's afraid of Purrloins?"

Ash shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But we don't know why. He's never told us."

"Aw, is the big strong man afraid of a cute little kitten?" Alyssa said, putting her hands on her hips and leaning forward.

Cilan collected himself and his expression of determination returned.

"I see you've got your big boy pants on now." Alyssa said. "My Purrloin's elegance outshines that of your Pansage. The battle hasn't even begun and it's clear who the winner will be."

"Elegance has nothing to do with how a Pokémon battles." Cilan said. "It all comes down to the synchronization of Pokémon and trainer. When differences fade away and their hearts blend together into one."

Alyssa slowly clapped.

"Inspirational, but I came here to battle, not try to stay awake during class."

"Very well, then." Cilan said.

"And... BEGIN!" the referee cried.

"Pansage, let's start this off with Bullet Seed!"

Pansage inhaled deeply and sent a barrage of glowing green seeds towards Purrloin.

"Purrloin, use Fury Swipes on the seeds!"

Purrloin extracted claws from her paws and flailed her arms around in a graceful manner, each stroke destroying a Bullet Seed until there were no more.

"Now, Purrloin, use Attract!"

Purrloin winked and hearts floated over to Pansage. They circled around and crashed into it. He staggered forward and let out a swooning purr.

Cilan cried out. "Pansage, snap out of it!" But Pansage failed to respond.

"Purrloin, Shadow Claw!"

Purrloin ran at Pansage with her right paw shrouded in darkness.

"Pansage, use Dig!"

Pansage snapped out of Attract and dove into the ground. Purrloin stopped and looked around. The ground underneath her crumbled and Pansage body slammed into her. Purrloin went spiraling into the air.

"Clever, Mr. Connoisseur." Alyssa said, crossing her arms.

Purrloin landed on her feet and crossed her arms as well, looking like a feline version of Alyssa.

"Pansage, use Solar Beam!"

Pansage raised its arms and began to collect rays of sunshine.

"I don't think so! Purrloin, use double Shadow Claw!"

Purrloin sprinted forward and pounced, both of her paws ignited in darkness. The attack landed and Pansage flew back and slammed into the wall. When the dust subsided, it laid unconscious.

"Pansage is unable to battle!" the referee said. "Which means the match goes to Purrloin and Alyssa!"

Alyssa smiled as Purrloin scampered to her side. Cilan knelt and scooped Pansage into his arms.

"You did great, Pansage." he said.

He returned Pansage to its PokéBall and stood up. He scanned the crowds of screaming spectators until his eyes found me. I smiled and gave him a thumbs up. A small smile melted onto his face and he walked off the battlefield.

* * *

The rest of the tournament flew by like a quick breeze. Eventually it came to an end and Iris won. After the tournament, we stood outside the entrance and said goodbye to friends.

"I must admit," Alyssa said. "You did battle pretty good... for a little sister."

"Gee... thanks." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, see you soon, sis." Alyssa said.

She turned around, tossing her hair over her shoulder, and walked away.

"Alyssa, wait!" I said.

Alyssa stopped and turned her head.

"The next time we meet, let's have a Pokémon battle."

A grin poked through the profile of her face.

"Maybe." she said and she walked away. I watched her until she disappeared in the sunset's rays before letting out a long sigh.

"Sisters." I mumbled.

"Rylee..." I cried out when I suddenly realized Cilan standing next to me. "I'm sorry about not beating Alyssa."

"What?" I said. I giggled. "You don't have to apologize. It's no big deal. I do appreciate you trying for me."

Cilan smiled. I looked back down the path where Alyssa walked down and laid my hand on my PokéBall necklace.

_I guess Alyssa isn't the same as me. Call it a sister thing, but I couldn't sense that kind of power from her. The power of snobbishness, maybe, but anyone can practically see it radiating off her. But still... there are people out there. People like me. Will I ever be able to find them?_


	17. Deep Lake Diving

"I think what we need is some super special training!" Ash said. "Oshawott's Aqua Jet needs some major improvement."

We found an open space in the forest. It had a beautiful lake and tall, soft grass.

"Alright." Ash said. He called Oshawott out. "Ready for training, Oshawott?"

Oshawott jumped in the air and the two ran to the lake. We set up camp and let out our other Pokémon so Iris and I could watch them while Cilan prepared lunch. Iris brought out a ball and played catch with the Pokémon. I changed into my swimsuit, a green, racerback, one piece bathing suit with white shorts. I slid my tennis shoes on.

"Ash! Rylee!" Iris cried. "Come quick!"

"It's Pikachu, and Zorua, and the others!" Cilan said.

I finished tying my shoes and clipped on my PokéBall necklace before running back over to my friends.

"What's wrong?" I said as Ash stepped beside me. He wore his swim trunks as well. "Oh, no!"

The only exception was Leavanny, who leaned over Zorua and Pikachu. The other Pokémon sprawled across the ground in a pile of painful moaning.

"Zorua!" I said. I knelt down and picked her up. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"There was a herd of Foongus, and they shot Poison Spores at everyone." Iris said. "Now, they're all sick."

"I'm afraid there's no Pokémon Center near here." Cilan said, peeking up over his digital map.

The groans of the Pokémon cut deep into my heart.

"There must be something we can do!" I said. "Can't we make our own antidote?"

"Maybe we can!" Iris said. "There might be some Romayo weed in the lake. If that herb is used in a tea and given to Pokémon, it can neutralize the poison."

"Oshawott and I will go look for it." Ash said. "But there's a super cranky Stunfisk lurking there. It drove us out the first time we were in there."

"I'll go with you." Cilan said.

"Rylee and I will stay here and watch everyone." Iris said.

_"Rylee..."_ Zorua said through Telepathy.

_"What? What's wrong?" _I answered.

_"Have you heard of the move Heal Bell?"_ Zorua said.

_"Yes, it eliminates status ailments. Why?"_

_"It's one of the moves you can use."_

_"Really? Then I can use it to heal you!" _I said.

_"No. Don't."_ Zorua said.

_"Why not?"_

_"Ash and Oshawott need to do this themselves."_

Zorua touched her nose against my arm. Images washed over my mind. I saw Ash standing at the edge of the lake and Oshawott zooming just below the surface, engulfed in Aqua Jet. His target was a Palpitoad floating before him, but its tongue was hanging out for some reason. Taking a closer look at him, Oshawott's eyes were open.

_"This is how Oshawott will master Aqua Jet?"_ I said.

_"Yeah."_ Zorua said. _"Don't worry. Everything's gonna be okay."_

_"Thanks. Now rest."_

Zorua closed her eyes and fell asleep. Iris cried out.

"Look!" she said, pointing over by the lake. Geysers of water shot out from the surface in different directions. The water suddenly stopped and the lake area filled with fog. I set Zorua down.

"I'll go check it out." I said. "Leavanny, help Iris watch the other Pokémon."

I stood up and ran to the lake.

* * *

~THIRD PERSON POV~

A Palpitoad jumped out of the water and landed on a lilypad. It growled.

"A Palpitoad?" Ash said.

Another Pokémon poked its head out of the water, a Stunfisk. It laughed.

"I see, so these two want to play!" Cilan said. "Very well, then!"

"Ash! Cilan!" Rylee came running down over to them. She stopped when she saw the Palpitoad and Stunfisk. "Is everything alright?"

"Stay back, Rylee!" Ash said.

Palpitoad's gaze switched over to Rylee and it growled again. It let out a cry. Its tongue shot out of its mouth and sent mud bombs straight at Rylee. She cried out and covered her face in her arms. A shield of Protect circled around her and the Mud Bombs bounced off and exploded. Rylee uncovered her eyes and the Protect faded. Palpitoad's tongue shot out again and wrapped around Rylee's arms and waist.

"Hey, let me go!" she cried.

Palpitoad smiled and dove into the water. Rylee lurched forward. She screamed as she shot forward and into the lake.

"Rylee!" Cilan and Ash cried.

Without missing a beat, Cilan reached down and took his shoes off. He grabbed Ash's air mask and ran straight to the lake and dove in.

"Cilan!" Ash said. "Oshawott, go and help him! I'll take care of Stunfisk!"

Oshawott nodded and dove into the water. Cilan swam deeper into the water, oblivious to the pressure making his head feel like it would pop. Oshawott blindly swam alongside him. He could see Rylee trying to untangle herself from Palpitoad. He could see her growing weaker from lack of air. Rylee opened her half-closed eyes to see Oshawott straggling along. Her eyes glowed purple as she stared at it with all her might. Finally, the colors dimmed back to green and she blacked out.

* * *

With the help of Cilan's fishing rod, Ash managed to knock out the Stunfish. He ran to the edge of the lake.

"Rylee! Cilan! Oshawott!" he cried.

He stood back, ready to jump in, until he saw the Palpitoad fly out of the water and land on the lilypad, unconscious. Oshawott's head popped out of the water. There was silence and Ash feared for the worst. But finally, he saw bubbles form at the surface of the water, and Cilan broke through, inhaling a deep breath of air, with Rylee in his arms. Ash ran over and helped him hoist Rylee onto land.

"Is she alright? Are _you_ alright?" Ash said.

Cilan coughed up the remaining water from his lungs. "I'm fine. We both are. Rylee's unconscious. She needs to rest."

"Ash! Cilan!" Iris came running over. "I heard all the commotion! What happened?!"

"Everything's alright." Cilan said, hoisting himself out of the water and sitting at the edge of the lake. "Let's go get some Romayo weed."

* * *

As night fell, the group nestled in their sleeping bags and fell asleep. Everyone except Cilan. He stared up at the starry sky hours after the last creature dozed off. He sat up and looked over at Rylee, who was asleep, and had been sleeping since the incident earlier that day, next to him. She shook in her sleeping bag and whimpered from whatever nightmare she was experiencing. Cilan reached over and rested his hand on her arm. She stopped immediately. She let out a deep breath and a smile curled on her lips.

Cilan rested his hand against the ground and returned his gaze to the sky. As he did, he flinched at the touch of someone's hand. He looked to see Rylee's hand laying limply over his. His surprise melted into a smile. He turned his hand over, palm up. Rylee's sleeping hand felt the movement and slowly tightened her grip. Cilan laid back in his sleeping bag and fell asleep.


	18. An Unexpected Addition to the Team

When I woke up, Zorua was standing on my chest and staring at me. At the sight of my eyelids fluttering, she squealed and her tail wagged.

"_She's awake! She's awake!_" she cried.

She jumped off me and ran over to my friends as they set up for breakfast (that is, I think it was breakfast. I felt like I lose all sense of time.). Ash and Iris turned to me while Cilan continued making breakfast with his back turned to me.

"Rylee!" Iris said. She ran over and gave me a hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Disoriented. Groggy. But I'll manage." I said. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Iris helped me up. "Something was going on at the lake and you went to go check on Ash and Cilan. When you arrived, a Palpitoad pulled you underwater."

I felt my face flush of color.

"I..."

"Yeah." Ash said, his face blank of expression. "Cilan reacted immediately. He and Oshawott rescued you."

I looked to Cilan, but his back remained turned to us.

"He hasn't spoken at all this morning." Iris whispered.

I looked down at the ground.

_Thank you, Cilan._

I glanced back up at him and saw the corners of his mouth curl up in a small smile. My hand went to my PokéBall necklace. _He heard me._

"Food's ready." Cilan said.

We gathered around the table and ate. Iris filled me in on the rest of yesterday: Oshawott perfected Aqua Jet while he fought against Palpitoad, and Ash caught it. Cilan caught the Stunfisk, which Ash knocked out by catching it with his fishing rod and spinning it around until its dizziness rendered it unconscious. They got the Romayo weed from the lake and the Pokémon took it and were healed, which explained Zorua.

When we finished, we returned our Pokémon to their PokéBalls.

"Axew, you didn't even touch your food." Iris said.

"Scraggy didn't either." Ash said. "Where are they, anyways?"

Axew and Scraggy began to call and jump frantically by some shrubbery.

"What is it, Axew?" Iris said.

Ash walked over to the bushes, and when he pushed them aside, he cried out.

"It's... it's Meowth!" he said.

"What?!" we all said.

"Meowth from Team Rocket?!" Cilan said.

We ran over, and sure enough, there in the bushes laid Meowth. Scratches and bruises covered him from head to toe.

"Oh my goodness!" I said. "How in the world did he end up here?!"

"I don't know, but he's in bad shape." Cilan said. "I'll see if I can fix up something."

"Wait." I said. "Let me. I want to try something."

Everyone stepped back. I cleared the bushes and carefully laid Meowth out in the open.

_Alright, Meowth. Let's fix you up._

Zorua said I knew Heal Bell. I examined Meowth and confirmed he was paralyzed.

_Okay, so how do I do this?_

Something flashed in my bottom peripheral view. I looked down and thought at first that my necklace was shining, but it was actually _me_. My decolletage glowed, a small patch above where my heart lies. I reached my hand up and touched the glowing spot. It felt normal. As I pulled away, the light extracted out from my body and shaped into a misty ball of light. The light morphed until a small golden bell floated in my hand. I grabbed its handle and shook it. A smoothing chime rung from it. Meowth glistened for a few moments. I could see some of his injuries were healed and gone, but he still looked pretty bad.

"Two moves down, one to go." I said. "What else can I do?"

An idea came to mind. I brought my hands together and held them over my heart like I was praying. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My body tingled, starting from my chest and it rapidly spread to the corners of my body. When I opened my eyes, I saw pulses of pink and orange waves radiating from my body. The waves reached Meowth and bathed him in pink and orange light. I watched almost all of his injuries heal and fade.

"_That was Heal Pulse._" Zorua said.

I nodded. "Meowth will be fine, he just needs rest."

"I made an Oran berry juice to help him recover his strength." Iris said, handing the bottle to me. I fed it to Meowth. Cilan placed a cloth on Meowth's forehead and a giant leaf over his body to keep him warm.

We sat around him. Minutes turned into hours before we heard him mumble. We jumped up and hovered over him.

"Where am I?" Meowth said. When he saw us, he screamed and jumped to his feet. "What are you twerps doing here?!"

"We found you lying face-down and unconscious, so Rylee healed you." Ash said.

"So, why are you even here in the first place?" Iris said. "What's Team Rocket up to this time?!"

"Huh?" Meowth said. He looked away. "I'm not a member of Team Rocket anymore!"

"What?!" we all said.

"How did that happen?" I said.

"It's nothin'. Just drop it." Meowth said. "Well, thanks for healin' me up and stuff, but... I got to go!"

Meowth turned and took off, but a few feet later, he collapsed to his knees.

"Meowth, you're still not fully recovered yet." Cilan said.

"What happened with you and Team Rocket?" Ash said.

Meowth turned over and sat on the ground. "Well, you saved me, so I guess I should tell you the truth."

I remembered what my dad said that as my powers developed I could get access to people's memories without physical touch. I laid my eyes on Meowth and concentrated really hard. Images began to swirl in my mind until they revealed pictures.

* * *

_I saw Meowth, Jessie, and James standing in an alley dressed in black clothing. They watched a building from the safety of an alley._

"We were on a secret top mission." _I heard Meowth say._

_Meowth from the memory turned to Jessie and James._

_"Leave this part to me." he said._

_Suddenly, I heard alarms go off, lights turn on, and Meowth frantically scurrying away from the scene. Next, I saw the three presented before a man. I didn't know who he was, but information flushed into my head. It was Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket._

"Word got back to the boss, and before I knew it, I got canned!"

_"FIRED?!"_

_Finally, I saw Meowth walking shamefully down a dirt road._

"I decided that I should go on a journey of my own, and before I knew it, I was being rescued by you twerps!"

* * *

The images vanished and I returned to reality.

"That's the truth?" Iris said.

"Believe me, I feel much better lying." Meowth said.

As I looked at everyone, my eyes caught on Cilan, who stood deep in thought.

"You know what?" he said to us. "I think we should take Meowth with us for a while..."

"Huh?!" we all said.

Iris and Ash looked at Meowth thoughtfully.

"You think so?" Ash said.

"Yes," Cilan said. "Meowth is the only Meowth in this region, and wandering off alone could be dangerous."

"Nah, I'm good." Meowth said. "Besides, I don't want to put you through any troubles."

"You heard him!" I said. "See ya later, Meowth. Let's go!"

Iris caught my arm and gave me a stern "mom" look.

"You're seriously considering this?!" I said. "He's our enemy! I'd sooner have myself locked in a pit of hungry Krookodile than travel with him!"

"Rylee." Iris said. "You told us you have a special connection with Pokémon. Maybe traveling with Meowth will help you two grow closer. Everyone deserves a second chance."

I scowled and glanced at Meowth.

"Look, Meowth, can you promise not to do anything bad anymore?" Ash said.

"I'm no longer of Team Rocket, so I don't need to do anything bad anymore!" Meowth said. His expression changed. "Are you saying I get to go with you guys?"

Everyone nodded. Meowth smiled.

"Deal! No problem. I promise!"

I couldn't believe my ears! This can't be happening!

Meowth jumped in the air and cheered.

"This will be great! I promise I'll help you guys in all that I can!"

Meowth shook all of our hands. As his furry paw came in contact with mine, more images flashed in my mind, however they were quick and brief. I saw the changing of train tracks, a train zooming through a subway, and the face of an old man with a monocle and white hair. The last image I understood plenty enough. I saw Meowth jumping down an air vent with clusters of PokéBalls. He landed in a train and deposited them in a crater. A door opened and there stood Jessie and James.

_"Good work, Meowth. We knew we could count on you." _Jessie said.

Meowth smirked. _"Those twerps didn't even see it coming."_

* * *

Why, that dirty, good-for-nothing, furball! He's lying right through his teeth! And the worst part is my friends actually believe Meowth turned over a new leaf and now we're traveling with him! I guess I'll just see how this unravels, but don't say I didn't warn you...


	19. Charmed and Dangerous

We walked along the road and suddenly the scenery changed. It was rocky with large boulders along the stream of a flowing river.

I recognized this area. I've been here before.

There was a moan and the bushes rustled. Out came a Purrloin, with scratches, dirt, and twigs entangled in its fur.

I knew this Purrloin. It was here that I met it. It staggered forward and looked up wearily at me. It groaned again and fell forward.

"Purrloin!" I cried.

I ran to it and caught it before it fell to the ground.

"You know that Purrloin?!" Cilan said. His face was as pale as a ghost.

"I met it a while ago, before we went to Castelia City." I said. "Purrloin, what happened to you?"

"_I..._" Purrloin said.

"Don't worry, Purrloin. We'll help you get better."

"What?!" Cilan said. "You're going to help it?!"

My eyes flared up as I shot him a look.

_"YOU'RE the one who suggested we drag Meowth along with us."_ I telepathized. _"You're in no position to say what we should and should do!"_

Cilan shut his mouth and stepped back. I turned back to Purrloin.

"Rest, Purrloin." I said. "You'll feel better soon."

Purrloin nodded and fell asleep. I picked it up and turned to everyone.

"We might be here for a while." I said. "Iris, can you find some Oran berries? Ash, can you bring out Leavanny and have it make a little pillow for Purrloin?"

Iris and Ash nodded. Iris and Axew went off into the forest and Ash called out his Leavanny. I took out mine as well for assistance.

"You're going all out for a Pokémon." Cilan said, crossing his arms.

"And you're not! I remember what happened when you saw Alyssa's Purrloin during the Battle Tournament. You totally flipped out! What do you have against Purrloin?" I said.

Cilan shook his head and looked away. "I'd rather not say."

Meowth walked up to me.

"You seemed to speak to Purrloin and converse with it. You... can talk to Pokémon?" he said.

My muscles tensed. _Not only talk to them, I am a Pokémon! Not that I'd ever tell _you_._

"A little, I guess." I said. "You know how it is when a bond is strong enough between a Pokémon and a person.

I looked at Meowth, but he was all goo-goo eyes on Purrloin. You could practically see the hearts in his eyes.

_Give me a break._

I heard cries in the distance. I looked to see a flock of Tranquill heading right for us, and they looked incredibly ticked. They came at us and flapped their wings to create a giant Gust. A large stick came and whacked Meowth in the forehead. Dirt and rocks blew up into the air to make multiple tornados.

"What made them mad?!" Iris said.

"I don't know, but I'd rather not wait to find out!" Ash said.

He called out Oshawott and he used Water Gun to drive the Tranquill away. Seconds later, Oshawott caught sight of Purrloin and fell head over heels for it.

_Wow. I can't even get ONE boy to like me, much less two._

I rolled my eyes. Purrloin turned to Meowth and started speaking.

"'Kay, here's the scoop: Purrloin was in the woods and it was hungry, so it ate some berries. Well, the berries Purrloin ate happened to belong to that flock of Tranquill, and they mistook her for a common thief." Meowth translated.

"That's a lie!" Cilan said with his arms crossed. "Purrloin never think twice about stealing all sorts of things and then fibbing about it!"

"Okay, so did you steal it or not?" Ash said.

Oshawott whipped around and shot a Water Gun in Ash and Cilan's faces. Oshawott turned to Purrloin and apologized for the two.

"Looks like Purrloin has TWO advocates..." Cilan said, wiping his face with a towel.

"Well, I totally get it! Purrloin is just SO adorable!" Iris squealed.

Cilan groaned in frustration. "Adorable is NOT the word I had in mind..." he said.

"Oh, come on, Cilan!" Ash said. "Lighten up a little!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Cilan, what did happen to you?" I said.

"Please, it just pains me to think about it!" Cilan said, rubbing his temples.

"I have an idea! I'll catch Purrloin, so then I can raise it to be sweet and nice!" Iris said.

Cilan cried out in protest. Iris pulled out a PokéBall and threw it at Purrloin. Meowth jumped in the way.

"That's not gonna happen!" he cried. The PokéBall hit him in the face and sucked him inside.

"Oh no!" Iris said. "I'm sorry!"

The PokéBall fell to the ground and began to wiggle. Once, twice, three times, and then it stilled. A few seconds later, it burst open and Meowth came out, sprawled on the ground and panting.

"That was way to close for comfort!" Meowth said. "Now, listen here! No one is going to confine my pretty Purrloin into a PokéBall!"

Then we witnessed Purrloin be asked out by Meowth and he and Oshawott got into a fight.

"They're got it _bad_... and that's not good." Cilan said.

"You've got to be kidding me." I said. "Having second thoughts about catching Purrloin, Iris?"

"I'm starting to..." she said.

Purrloin turned around and left, leaving us and the love-struck Oshawott and Meowth.

"Good riddance..." Cilan mumbled.

* * *

Meowth and Oshawott came to a little bit later, and not to long after, Purrloin came running back. She spoke to Meowth rapidly and desperately.

"No way!" Meowth cried. "It looked like Purrloin's got a dear friend stuck inside a deep, dark and dank cave!"

"That's horrible!" Iris said.

"Don't worry, babe, I'll rescue your buddy for you!" Meowth said. Oshawott protested.

"Let's ALL go and take a look!" Ash said.

"_I'm_ not going." Cilan said.

"Why not?"

"The fact is, I can't bring myself to believe Purrloin one bit! I'll just wait for you right here!"

"I'll stay as well." I said.

"Well, alright then..." Ash said.

"Time for Operation Save Pretty Purrloin's Pal or Bust!" Meowth said.

"Okay, Purrloin, lead the way!"

Purrloin turned around and led everyone away, leaving me and Cilan.

"Glad to know you haven't fallen under Purrloin's spell." Cilan said. He sat on a rock and shuddered. "Just sitting here reminds me..."

"Cilan, what happened to you that's made you so terrified of Purrloin?" I said.

Cilan sighed. "I'm sorry, but the memory's still too painful."

"That's alright." I said, sitting next to him. "Just know that if you do want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

Cilan smiled. "Thanks." he said. He looked down the path everyone went down. "I hope that Purrloin hasn't led everyone into some sort of trap."

"Or Meowth." I mumbled.

"What makes you say that?"

I sighed and told Cilan about the vision I had of Meowth and Team Rocket. His eyes widened.

"Surely that can't be true!" he said.

"And if it is?" I said. "Once a Team Rocket member, always a Team Rocket member. Meowth is no exception."

"Maybe that outcome won't come true." Cilan said. "Your visions of the future aren't set in stone. Maybe along the way, something in the present will change the future. Sometimes it can be a bit indecisive."

"Maybe." I said. "But that doesn't mean I'll let my guard down."

"Excuse me?" a voice said. We turned to see a girl with red short hair and blue eyes. She had a purple jacket and her left arm was in a sling. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" Cilan said.

The girl showed us a picture of Purrloin. "Have you seen this Purrloin?"

We both gasped.

"Yes, we have!" I said.

"Really?!" the girl said. "When? Do you know where it went?"

"Yes! We know where it is!" Cilan said. "We'll take you to it."

"Oh, thank you!" the girl said. "My name is Misha."

"I'm Cilan!" Cilan said.

"I'm Rylee." I said. "Now, let's hurry and find Ash and Iris!"

* * *

Cilan, Misha, and I made our way to an abandoned mine.

"Are you sure they're here?" Cilan whispered to me.

"Yes. Look, there are footprints, both human and Pokémon." I said.

"There's Purrloin's footprints!" Misha said. "It must be here!"

We heard voices calling for help inside the mine.

"That's Ash! And Iris!" Cilan said. The ground rumbled underneath our feet. "We need to hurry!"

We ran into the mine, following the shouts reverberating off the walls. We entered a large room with a giant crater in the center. Ash, Pikachu, Meowth, Oshawott, and Iris were trapped, waist-deep, in a pile of rocks and sand. Up at the edge of an old wooden platform was Purrloin.

"Purrloin!" Misha said. "There you are!"

"Ash! Iris!" I called. Cilan and I went to the edge while Misha approached Purrloin. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine!" Iris said.

"Purrloin..." Misha said. "It's me, Misha. Don't you remember me?"

Purrloin glared at her.

"I've been looking for you for so long..."

When Misha took another step closer, Purrloin's claw extracted and began shouting at Misha.

"_Here, let me..._" Zorua said. She began to glow a light green and used Telepathy to project Purrloin's words to everyone.

"_What I want to know is why you ABANDONED me!_" Purrloin cried.

"Abandoned?" Ash said.

"Please, Purrloin!" Misha said. "I never meant to abandon you and you know it!"

"_You left. You told me to wait for you, and I did! Every day and night, I waited for you... but you never came back! You have no idea what it feels like to be abandoned!_" Purrloin said.

I gulped at the memory of telling my dad those same words.

"You don't understand, Purrloin! While I was out, I was in a horrible accident!" Misha gestured to her slinged arm. Purrloin's expression changed. "I'm so sorry, Purrloin. I didn't mean to put you through this. Please forgive me!"

"Purrloin, Misha truly cares about you." I said. "If she didn't, do you think she would be here right now? Do you think she would be spending all this time looking for you?"

Suddenly, the ground rumbled violently. We looked to the hole and saw the rocks and sand were moving, and Iris, Ash, Oshawott, Pikachu, and Meowth began to sink.

"Cilan, Rylee, help!" Iris said.

"Hold on!" Cilan said. "Misha, we need your help."

"Okay!" Misha said.

Cilan and Misha grabbed a rope and threw it to Ash and Iris. They grabbed hold of it and held on tight. Cilan and Misha pulled on the rope, but suddenly the ground beneath them collapsed and they plunged into the landslide. I cried out and dove for the rope. I caught it, causing a few rope burns on my fingers and palms, and pulled on the rope.

"It's too much!" I cried.

"_Wait, I have an idea!_" Purrloin said. "_Come with me, please!_"

"Okay... Zorua, grab onto the rope!"

Zorua transformed into a Throh, grabbed the rope, and began to pull. Purrloin and I took off out of the mines and into the woods.

"Whatever you have in mind, it better happen in about 5 seconds!" I said.

Suddenly, the trees began to rustle. The flock of Tranquill from before emerged from the trees, and when they saw Purrloin, they looked as angry as before, maybe even angrier. They flapped their wings in unison to create a giant Gust.

"_Wait, please, I need your help!_" Purrloin cried. The Gust knocked Purrloin to the ground.

"Tranquill, listen!" I said. "Our friends are in trouble. We need your help to save them!"

The Gust continued. Purrloin stood up again.

"_I'm so sorry, Tranquill! I'm sorry for stealing your berries! Please, forgive me and help us!_"

The Gust stopped. The Tranquill floated in the air and stared at us.

"_Fine. We'll help you._" one Tranquill said. "_We accept your apology, Purrloin. Now, what do you need us for?_"

* * *

As each of my friends sank underneath the landslide, the flock of Tranquill flew in and grabbed them with their talons. They pulled them out of the rubble and into the air.

"It's the Tranquill!" Ash said. "How did you know we were here?"

One Tranquill gestured to the mine entrance as Purrloin and I stepped into the room. We waved to them.

"It's Rylee!" Cilan said.

"And Purrloin!" Misha said. "Thank goodness!"

* * *

We made our way out of the mine and back to the rocky area by the steam.

"Thank you so much, Rylee." Misha said.

"Actually, you should be thanking Purrloin. It was the one who came up with the idea to bring the Tranquill to the mine." I said.

"Really?" Misha turned to Purrloin and gave it a hug. "Thank you, Purrloin! You're so sweet!"

"_I'm so sorry that I tricked you guys._" Purrloin said. "_I was just hurt at the thought of Misha abandoning me..._"

"Well, I'm glad that everything's sorted out." Ash said.

"It was nothin'." Meowth said. "All in the line of duty. I only ask one eensie-beansie favor..."

"What is it?" Misha said.

Meowth turned to Purrloin, going down on one knee and pulling out a bouquet of roses from behind his back.

"Come on, baby, don't say maybe! Please go out with me and make me a happy Pokémon!" he cried. Oshawott did the same.

Purrloin looked at the two and chuckled nervously. Misha stared at the two.

"Um..." she said. "You see... Purrloin's a guy."

"WHAAAAT?!" Oshawott and Meowth cried. They both fell to the ground in shock.

"Well, that was quite a surprising twist of events." I said. Zorua snickered on my shoulder.

"There. Talk about a menu substitution." Cilan said.

"Nice one, Cilan." Ash said as Iris laughed.

"A dude?" Meowth whimpered. "Ugh..."


	20. Panic at the Station

We stood on a bridge overlooking Nimbasa City.

"We made it! Finally, Nimbasa City!" Cilan said.

"This is so exciting!" Ash said. "Let's get over to the gym right away!"

"Hold the phone..." Meowth said, who laid on the ground and attempted to catch his breath. "I'm beat. I need to find a Pokémon Center and have some serious R and R."

Ash groaned in protest. "But I want to have my gym battle NOW!" Just then, his stomach rumbled.

"I think your stomach disagrees." I said.

"Maybe we should find a Pokémon Center..."

"PERFECT!" Cilan said. "And I know exactly where it is! FOLLOW ME!" Cilan took off into the city.

"Must be an exciting Pokémon Center..." Iris said.

* * *

"Here it is!" Cilan said.

We stood at the entrance of a subway station.

"Cilan, this isn't a Pokémon Center..." I said.

"You're right!" he cried. "This is the Nimbasa City subway! It's fast and easy, which means that the Pokémon Center is mere minutes away!"

"Yeah!" Meowth said, scurrying into the subway. "Fast and easy is my middle name!"

"In Nimbasa City, the subway is the only way to travel! All aboard! LET'S GO!" Cilan took off after Meowth.

"He loves his trains... just like a little kid!" Iris said.

"Yeah, who knew you liked subways, Cilan? Cool!" Ash said.

Cilan stopped and turned to us. "With a passion!" he said. "After all, I am a Metro Connoisseur!"

"Metro Connoisseur?!" Iris and Ash said with awe.

"Metro Connoisseur?" I said skeptically.

We entered the subway. Cilan looked like a child in a candy store. He let out a gleeful squeal.

"They even have a train exhibition! It's so beautiful!" he cried.

"It just looked like a bunch of trains..." Ash said.

There was a glint in Cilan's eyes.

_Oh boy. Get ready for today's lesson._

"Ash, it's MUCH more than that! Which means it's SUBWAY TIME!" Cilan cried.

"Which means it's also Lecture Time." Iris said. I covered my mouth to stifle my laughter.

Cilan proceeded to tell us how subway trains are produced, the history of the subway train, and a whole bunch of other things I didn't really pay attention to.

"...Which is why the Double Train because the standard for future models!" Cilan said.

"Too bad it hasn't become the standard for you mouth..." Meowth mumbled.

"Well, I am a Metro Connoisseur! Although..." Cilan said. He crossed his arms as a thoughtful expression washed over his face. "The term 'metro connoisseur' refers to those specialized in tracks AND those who specialize in tracks. AND, of course, that could be further divided into engine-type connoisseurs."

Suddenly, Ash's stomach rumbled.

"I agree with Ash! I think we've heard enough!" I said. "Let's go find the Pokémon Center and get some food."

"School's out!" Meowth said, dragging Cilan away by the tail of his vest.

"But I wanna look at the pretty train some more!" Cilan cried, whining like a little child.

* * *

We sat in the subway and listened to Cilan's muffled cries of excitement as he smushed his face against the glass.

"Any chance you can use a move to quiet Mr. Connoisseur?" Iris mumbled next to me.

"If only. Sorry." I said.

I heard a little boy cry, "Look, mommy! Look at the funny man over there!"

"Cilan, please sit down! You're so embarrassing!" I said. "What are you looking at anyways?"

"Why, the controls, of course!" Cilan said. "Come look!"

I reluctantly obeyed and looked through the window. I saw a large panel with blinking buttons and lights.

"There's no one in there." I said.

"That's because it's ATO: automatic train operation!" Cilan said.

I watched the map as two moving arrows roamed around the screen, probably a symbol for the trains. Suddenly, they stopped moving and turned red. A warning sign popped up and the train came to a screeching halt. The passengers fell forward, crying out in surprise. The distance between my face and the glass closed instantly and I could tell a bruise would form soon.

"_What happened?_" Zorua said.

"I... I don't know." Cilan said. "The emergency brakes have come on. Maybe there's been an accident."

We looked out the window into the dim darkness. I felt the rumble of a train approaching. A black train zoomed past us. There was something on the outside of the train, but I couldn't tell what it was.

"I've never seen that train before."

My face fell into solemnity. "Cilan. My vision." I said. "That could be the train from my vision."

"Do you think so?" Cilan said, keeping his voice low. I nodded.

The train filled with frightened whispers about a "ghost train".

"What's a ghost train...?" I said to myself.

"Cilan! Something's coming up the tracks!" Iris said.

We looked out the window and saw two lights approaching the train. When they were close enough, I saw a set of identical twins with gray eyes and white hair. They both wore subway hats and long coats, but one's outfit was white and the other's was navy blue.

"It's Ingo and Emmet, the subway bosses!" Cilan cried.

* * *

Our train came into its station and we went over to the subway bosses.

"Ingo, Emmet, it's so good to see you!" Cilan said, shaking their hands. "I haven't seen you since the Subway Convention!"

"Although it brings tears to my eyes to watch this beautiful reunion..." I said. "There are bigger things at hand. Why did the train suddenly stop during its course, and what's the hype about this ghost train we saw?"

"You've seen the ghost train?" Ingo said.

"Cilan and I did right after the train stopped. Why?"

"We've had many reports about an unidentified train running along the subway underground, but we haven't been able to figure out what it is!" Emmet said. "When the train was running, the emergency brake system was activated to prevent any collisions."

"I've never seen such a thing like that, but I do know that the train is real... so how could it just vanish?" Cilan said.

"That's why we are investigating."

"How DARE someone threaten the lives of innocent people and endanger the subway station!" Cilan fumed. I could see the angry fire flaring in his eyes.

"We'll hose you down at the POKéMON CENTER!" Meowth said, dragging Cilan out of the station. "Now let's go, I'm hungry!"

* * *

The Pokémon Center was huge. When we spoke, it echoed in the building.

"It was built to this size because of all the trainers who come here to sharpen their Pokémon skills!" Nurse Joy said. "Our gourmet restaurant and Pokémon vault are quite spacious as well."

"The Pokémon vault also has these awesome spa equipment and healing massages given by the Audino themselves!" Meowth said, swooning at the thought. "You should let all of your awesome Pokémon indulge in the luxury as well!"

"That sounds like an awesome idea! I'm in!" Ash said.

"Me too!" Iris said.

"And I, as well!" Cilan said.

Zorua and I glanced at each other. Zorua gave me a tiny nod.

"You know what?" I said. "That does sound fun."

We all took our PokéBalls out and places them on a cart. Pikachu, Axew, Zorua, and Meowth hopped onto the cart and an Audino carried them away.

"Rest and Relaxation, here we come!" Meowth cheered.

Zorua looked back at me. I nodded as the cart disappeared behind the doors.

"Come on, guys, let's go eat!" Iris said.

"It's LUNCH TIME!" Cilan said.

We sat down and looked through our menus.

"I'm going to go give Professor Oak a call." Ash said. "Be right back."

Ash stood up and left the table. As I watched him walk away, my head filled with voices.

_"Hey, it's Meowth."_ one voice said. _"I'm about to commence with our plan."_

_"Excellent."_ the sound of an elder man said. I didn't recognize it. "_Jessie, James, proceed as ordered."_

_"Yes, sir."_ Jessie said.

_"Proceeding right away."_ James said.

The voices stopped and I clenched my fists.

_Hear that, Rylee?_ Zorua's voice echoed in my mind.

_Loud and clear._ I grit my teeth until my jaw became sore.

"Is something wrong, Rylee?" Iris said.

"No, no. Everything is... just swell." I said dryly.

"How was your call?" Cilan asked Ash as he returned to the table.

"The weirdest thing just happened. My call just got cut off all of a sudden!" Ash said.

Cilan glanced at me. I glared back at him and he seemed to get the message. He lowered his eyes back to his menu. Suddenly, we heard a saw police cars pass by and head towards the drawbridge.

"What's going on?" Ash said. We ran to the front desk. "Nurse Joy, is something wrong?"

"Something has happened to the drawbridge! It's opened up and it won't come down!" Nurse Joy said, pressing her hand against her cheek in disbelief. "And with all communications in Nimbasa City down, Office Jenny says there could be trouble!"

"First the ghost train in the subway station..." Cilan said.

"Then communications are but off..." Ash said.

"And now the drawbridge is having problems?" Iris said.

I let out a frustrated cry. "Don't you see?! This is all part of a plan! And now, our Pokémon are in danger!" I said. Everyone looked at me in shock. "Nurse Joy, you need to take us into the vault now!"

"Okay." Nurse Joy said.

We followed Nurse Joy to the back. We approached a door with a scanner. Nurse Joy stepped up and placed her hand on the scanner. Her hand and the rest of her body was analyzed.

"The Pokémon should be safe in the vault." Nurse Joy said. "The only ones allowed access inside are the Audino and myself."

The door slid open and we ran inside. The shelves were empty with no sign of a PokéBall.

"Impossible!" Nurse Joy cried. "All of the PokéBalls are gone!"

"Hey, what's that?" Cilan said.

We looked to see an air vent left open.

"The thief must be down there!" Iris said.

"Well, I'm going after them!" Ash said, hopping down the vent, followed by Iris and Cilan.

"Nurse Joy, please go and tell Officer Jenny what's happening!" I said and I jumped into the vent.

We crawled through the vent and landed in the underground subway. We looked up and saw Meowth standing in front of a subway train with his back turned to us.

"Meowth, you're okay!" Ash said.

"That... that looks like the ghost train!" Cilan said.

Meowth turned around and cackled. My friends gasped.

"I couldn't have done this without your twerpish help!" Meowth said.

"What are you talking about, Meowth?!" Iris said.

"I'll tell you what! Meowth was lying the entire time! He only pretended to be nice to us, but he was never kicked out of Team Rocket!" I said. "What else would you expect from a Team Rocket lowlife? He's a dirty, no-good, lying furball of a Pokémon!"

"That's right!" a voice said.

Jessie and James appeared beside Meowth. Jessie pulled out a PokéBall and out came Woobat.

"Woobat, Air Slash!"

Woobat flapped its wings and blades of air came hurtling towards us. We jumped out of the way as the train moved forward down the tracks and past us.

"Stop!" Ash cried. "Give us back our Pokémon!"

We jumped up and ran after the train.

"Zorua!" I cried.

I could hear the voices of our Pokémon crying for help. Their shrieks pierced my brain and my vision grew blurry. As Ash and I ran, our feet caught on the tracks and we fell to the ground.

"Ash! Rylee! Are you okay?" Iris said.

"You guys need to calm down!" Cilan said.

"But our Pokémon!" I protested. Iris and Cilan helped us up.

"We need to stop them!" Ash said.

"Then let's head for the subway control center. We'll be able to see everything that's going on there." Cilan said.

"Okay." Ash and I said.


	21. The Freeze Pokémon

We entered the subway control center, where everything was the exact opposite of control. Warnings and alarms blared and flashed on every screen. We met with the subway bosses and gave them our report.

"So all that has been happening is because of Team Rocket!" Emmet said.

"If all the trains have stopped, shouldn't that keep the ghost train from going anywhere?" Iris said.

"If only that were so..." Ingo bowed his head.

"They can still use the connecting lines!" Cilan said. "That must be how Team Rocket is able to go anywhere they please!"

"Indeed. But even though we are unable to find where the ghost train is, we do know that because of the connecting lines, Team Rocket can't get to where they want to go..."

"Look!" Emmet said, pointing to the digital map in the center of the room. "Even with the connecting lines, Team Rocket has to pass through the D3 point no matter what!"

"Then we'll set up an ambush right there!" Iris said. "But how would we get there fast enough?"

"By using the mail-carrier cart!" Ingo said.

"Good idea, Ingo!" Emmet said.

"I'm going with you!" Ash said.

"But Ash, it's too dangerous!"

"I want to help those Pokémon!"

"I'm going too!" I said.

"Me too!" Iris and Cilan said.

Ingo and Emmet stared at us, then smiled and nodded

"All right." Ingo said. "I'll guide you through."

* * *

We ran through the underground tracks to the mail-carrier cart.

"Leave the driving to me!" Cilan said. He pulled out subway hat from his backpack and placed it on his head.

"I have to go and repair the ATO so that passengers can get to the stations." Ingo said. He handed Cilan a map of the subway and a walkie-talkie. "Be careful."

"All right." The two saluted and Cilan turned on the cart. "All aboard! Let's go!"

We zoomed off into the subway. As we maneuvered through the tracks, we helped Cilan in changing the tracks so we went down the right way.

"We're almost to the D3 point!" Cilan said.

As we drove, we could see something in front of us.

"Cilan, it's the ghost train!" I said.

We caught up to it so we were right behind it.

"I'm going over there!" Ash said.

"But Ash-!" Iris said.

Ash climbed on the edge of the mail cart and jumped. He landed on the train, but it caved like a waterbed.

"What happening?!" Ash said.

I noticed something flickering at the bottom of the train. Two red lights flashed rapidly before the train exploded, sending pink powder everywhere. Ash flew back into Cilan. His arms jerked the steering wheel and the mail cart derailed. We fell out and landed on the ground.

"A decoy..." Ash said.

"Then where's the real ghost train?" Iris said.

"_Cilan, come in._" a voice said. It was Emmet, and it was coming from a walkie-talkie from the cart. Cilan rushed over and picked it up.

"I'm here, Emmet!" he said.

"_How are you at stopping Team Rocket?_"

"Not good. We ran into a decoy and the mail cart derailed and jumped the tracks!"

"_Then... what's heading for the D3 point?_"

"Huh?" we said.

We looked to see the headlights of a train heading our way. As it passed by us, things turned into slow motion as we saw Jessie, James, and Meowth smirking at us from the control panel. They zoomed away.

"Oh no! They're going to get away!" Cilan said.

"_Don't worry, Cilan._" Emmet said. "_As long as our sensor system's working, we're able to keep an eye on the real ghost train._"

Suddenly, a cry was heard from the other line.

"What happened?!" Cilan said.

"_There... there are SEVERAL ghost trains! They just appeared!_" Ingo said.

"More decoys?!" Ash said.

"Then which one do we go after?" Iris said.

Realization washed over me and I cried out. "The symbol!"

"What?"

"The Team Rocket symbol on the decoy trains are different from the real one!"

"So does that mean we're going to have to check _every_ train?" Iris said.

"Our Pokémon are counting on us!" I said.

* * *

Another train passed by us for the 4th time.

"Was that a decoy?" Ash said.

"I don't know!" Iris cried. "I'm tired of this!"

"It could be possible that Team Rocket is now out of the subway loop." Cilan said. "They may already be above ground."

"I always thought subways stayed below ground." Ash said. "But I never figured out how they got underground in the first place."

Cilan epiphanized. "Ash, you're a genius! If we find where the ghost train entered, that's the exit!"

"_It is most likely that the ghost train entered through the Anville Town rail yard._" Ingo said through the walkie-talkie. "_In fact, it's headed back there right now! We're going to come to you!_"

* * *

~ZORUA~

With every Thunderbolt and Iron Tail, Pikachu didn't seem to make any progress with getting out of his cage.

"_It's no use!_" Pikachu said.

"_What are we going to do?!_" Axew said. Tears welled up in his eyes.

I growled in frustration, but then I got an idea.

"_Look around you!_" I said. "_We're surrounded by Pokémon! If we can find the others, they can help us get out of here!_"

"_Great idea, Zorua!_" Pikachu said.

He scanned the craters until he spotted Snivy's PokéBall. He used Electro Ball to get it open.

"_Whoa! What happened to you guys?!_" Snivy said.

"_No time to explain, Snivy. Use your Vine Whip to find Excadrill!_" Pikachu said.

Snivy nodded and two vines came out of her collar. They sifted through the crater and came back out with Excadrill's PokéBall. She pressed the button and he came out.

"_What in the-?!_" he said.

"_Excadrill, please get us out of here!_" I said.

Excadrill used Metal Claw and broke us out of the cages. Pikachu used Iron Tail on the door again, but still to no avail. Axew used Dragon Rage. Nothing. Snivy jumped to a crater and brought out Pansage and the two Leavannies.

"_Guys, help us get the door open!_" Pikachu said.

Pansage used Bullet seed, then the two Leavannies used Hyper Beam. Still nothing.

"_Wait, guys!_" I said. "_Instead of taking turns, we all need to attack the door at the same time!_"

Snivy brought out Dwebble. All at once, we attacked the door with all we had: my Shadow Ball, Pikachu's Electro Ball, Axew's Dragon Rage, Excadrill's Focus Blast, Pansage's Bullet Seed, Leavanny's double Hyper Beam, and Snivy's Leaf Story. The door burst open.

"_It worked!_" I said.

We cheered. Pikachu ran over to the door. The door across from us opened and there was Meowth.

"_Rylee was right!_" I said. "_You lied to all of us!_"

"_Why you...!_" Pikachu growled. Sparks flew off the red spots of its cheeks.

Meowth chuckled. "It's too late. It's the end of the line for you chumps!" The train zoomed into broad daylight. "Don't bother jumpin', and you ain't gettin' no help from your twerp trainers either. You're on a one-way ticket to Boss land!" Meowth said.

Pikachu shot Thunderbolt at Meowth, but he closed the door. Pikachu growled. Snivy brought out Tepig and Roggenrola.

"_Everyone, use your power to break the connector!_" Pikachu said.

We did just that, adding with Tepig's Ember and Roggenrola's Flash Cannon. Meowth opened the door again.

"Huh?!" he cried when he saw what we were doing.

The connector broke and we began to drift from Team Rocket.

"You're not goin' anywhere!" Meowth said.

"_Pikachu, up ahead!_" I said.

There was a railroad track switcher. Snivy used her Vine Whip and changed it. The tracks changed and we zoomed in the other direction so we were side-by-side with Team Rocket. Team Rocket stopped and went back to the switcher. They switched the tracks and came after us. We jumped to the top of the train. Along with Team Rocket, a large helicopter came into view. I could see the giant claw attached to the bottom of it.

_Rylee, please hurry!_

* * *

~RYLEE~

We waited in the subway, but there wasn't any sign of Ingo and Emmet. I clenched my fist as my patience shriveled up as quickly as a fuse in Looney Tunes.

"I've had enough!" I cried. "I'm done with Team Rocket! I won't let them take my Pokémon! I'm going ahead and after them!"

"But Rylee, you won't get to Anville Town in time on foot!" Cilan said.

"I never said on foot."

I reached up to my necklace and unclipped the PokéBall. I pressed the button and it enlarged to its actual size.

My friends cried out.

"That's a _REAL_ PokéBall?!" Ash said.

"I knew Team Rocket had something planned." I said. "They know about Zorua and Leavanny, but no one knows about my third Pokémon."

I threw the PokéBall up into the air. It opened and out came my Pokémon: Articuno.

Everyone stared in disbelief as I climbed onto Articuno's back.

"Let's go. Zorua's in danger." I said to her. I turned to everyone. "You guys can stay here and wait for Ingo and Emmet, but I'm not going to let Team Rocket get away with my Pokémon."

Articuno let out a shrill cry and we zipped down the subway tracks. We maneuvered through the underground until we reached the light of the outside.

"We should be close." I said. "There!"

I saw Team Rocket's train split in two, with the back-end zooming beyond the front. All our Pokémon stood on top of the second car. A giant Team Rocket helicopter hovered above the two cars.

"Zorua! Leavanny! You guys!" I called.

"_Rylee!_" Zorua said. Her eyes widened at the sight of Articuno.

I hopped off of Articuno and onto the train roof. I looked up to the Team Rocket helicopter. Inside I could see an old man with white hair and a monocle, who I recognized from my vision. He saw me and smirked.

_Well, well... if it isn't Brand's daughter..._

I gasped. How does this man know my father?

A claw came out of the helicopter and at us.

"Oh no, you don't! You're not taking these Pokémon!" I said.

I stretched my hand out and a shield of Protect unveiled around us like a dome. I looked at the train and I noticed something else coming our way. It was a small cart that zoomed on the opposite tracks beside us. The mail cart. Riding in it were the subway bosses, Iris, Ash, and Cilan.

"Guys!" I called.

The helicopter claw crashed against the Protect and it shattered. I cried out and fell against the roof.

"Rylee!" I looked to see Cilan, Iris, and Ash floating over to the train car by Ingo's Chandelure using Psychic.

"Are you all right?" Iris said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What took you so long?" I said.

"We need to get rid of that cargo hook." Cilan said, helping me up.

"Roggenrola, use Flash Cannon! Tepig, use Ember!"

Roggenrola and Tepig used their moves on the tracks behind us. We zoomed forward. Axew used its Dragon Rage and we sped up faster. The helicopter started gaining on us.

"Oh no!" Iris said.

"Look!" Cilan said.

There was another track switcher. Pansage used Bullet Seed and we went to the other tracks, but the helicopter stayed hot on our trail.

"It's no use! We're going to get caught at some point!" Cilan said.

"We just need to get rid of the helicopter." I said. An idea hatched on my face. "Leave that to me. Ash, focus on speeding up the train."

I ran to the end of the car and jumped. Articuno came flying after me. She grabbed my arm with her talons, spun me around, and hurled me towards the helicopter. For a moment, I suspended in the air, slightly above the helicopter. I looked down to see my body glowing green. I stretched my hand out and a ball of energy formed and launched towards the helicopter's propellers. They shattered on impact. As I fell down, I extended my other hand and a beam of red and white energy escaped from it and destroyed the cargo hook. I crossed my arms over my chest like a mummy as Articuno flew underneath me and I landed on her soft back.

"Thanks." I said. "That could've ended badly."

Articuno took me back to my friends on top of the train car. They watched in awe as the helicopter swerved away. Smoke billowed from the top and bottom. Their astonished eyes landed on me.

"_That was incredible!_" Zorua cried.

"That was AncientPower and Hyper Beam!" Cilan said.

I smiled at them briefly before fixing my eyes on the pilot train car heading our way.

"One Team Rocket member down, three to go." I said.

Axew, Tepig, and Roggenrola sped up the car again with their moves. Tepig's Ember strengthened through Ash's inspiration and he learned Flamethrower. Ingo's Chandelure approached Team Rocket's car and used Will-O-Wisp on it. It short-circuited. The top blew off, and Jessie, James, and Meowth stood on its roof.

"Meowth!" Ash said. "You had us all fooled!"

"I told you," I said. "once a member of Team Rocket, always a member of Team Rocket."

"This ain't over!" Meowth hissed.

Pikachu's cheeks flickered, ready to blast the snot out of the traitorous puffball, but James pressed a button on a remote and the train exploded. The damaged helicopter flew away, with the three Team Rocket members following it on their jetpacks. We watched them escape in silence.

"And to think... Team Rocket came up with such a bold and clever plan." Cilan finally said.

"And it almost succeeded..." I said. "If they can come up with this, then who knows what else they're capable of?"

* * *

~THIRD PERSON POV~

"To think, we were so close." Dr. Zager said from the pilot seat of the helicopter. Jessie, James, and Meowth sat in three chairs behind them. The air reflected their frustrated pouts.

"Quitting while you're ahead is important too." Jessie said, crossing her arms.

"We'll just have to come up with another plan." Meowth said, mimicking Jessie.

"Looks like Operation Decoy is a failure..." James said.

"Is it?" Dr. Zager turned around to look at the three Team Rocket members. "Do you recall one of the lasses on the train roof? The one with the Articuno?"

"Yeah, that twerp's name is Rylee." Meowth said. "What about her?"

"I already know her name. Rylee Runyon. Daughter of Brand Runyon: also known as the legendary Pokémon, Reshiram."

"Huh?!" Jessie, James, and Meowth jumped to the edge of their seats.

"Really?" Jessie said.

"That explains it!" Meowth said. "I remember when she talked to a Purrloin like it was an old buddy of hers! She understood it!"

"Does that mean... _she's_ a Pokémon?" James said.

"Indeed." Dr Zager said. A smile twitched under his mustache. "That child holds tremendous power inside of her. Power that could be useful to Team Rocket."

The other three members smiled and sat back in their seats.

* * *

~RYLEE~

"Oh my!" Cilan squealed. He ran to the edge of the balcony to gaze at the array of subway trains below us. Emmet and Ingo brought us to Anville Town's rail yard, and all of the stolen PokéBalls were returned to Nimbasa City's Pokémon Center.

"Subway service is completely restored." Ingo said. "Thank you all for your help. We couldn't have done it without you."

"That's good to know." Iris said. "I'm so glad everything worked out okay!"

"Now I can finally have my gym battle!" Ash said.

"Good luck to you then." Emmet said. "Elesa's tough, but I'm sure that you'll be able to beat her."

The subway bosses went back to the cart to wait for us.

"So, I'm confused." I said, crossing my arms.

"About what?" Cilan said.

"What I did back with the helicopter. As you all know, I'm able to use Protect, Heal Pulse, and Heal Bell. That's three moves." I said. "But then earlier today, I used AncientPower and Hyper Beam, which comes to FIVE Pokémon moves, when a Pokémon can only have four."

"_Well, that is the case for Pokémon, but it's special for you._" Zorua said. "_Remember your dad telling you that you're half-Pokémon?_"

"Of course. He told me I could also transform into a Pokémon like he can."

"_Well, instead of using five total moves, you actually used two moves from your Pokémon self and three moves from your human self._" Zorua said. "_From your human self, you know Heal Pulse, Protect, and Heal Bell, and from your Pokémon self you know AncientPower, Hyper Beam, and another move you can use is Giga Impact, which you haven't master yet._"

"So that means I can learn a total of eight moves." I said. "That still leaves two more moves."

"Maybe you'll learn the rest during your journey." Cilan said.

"_Exactly!_" Zorua said.

"That's enough for today's lesson!" Ash said. "Nimbasa Gym, here we come!"


	22. Sealed With A Kiss

Ash did beat Elesa and he won his fourth gym badge. The next gym we set our sights on was the Driftveil City Gym. As we traveled, we ran into an unusual bunch of people: a boy with musically talented Maractus, a girl with a sassy Gothita who had a crush on Ash's Scraggy, and a man with an Accelgor who was some sort of "superhero". Upon arriving in Driftveil City, we rested at the Pokémon Center, where Ash wanted to do some training with his Pokémon to prepare them to battle with Clay, the Driftveil City Gym leader. He told us when we visited the gym that he was gone on important business and to come back later, and promptly left after booting us out of the gym. Iris, Cilan and I watched Ash train on the Pokémon Center's battlefield.

"Ash and his Pokémon are really psyched for their gym battle!" Iris said.

"They've gotten a lot stronger." I said.

"They must be anxious for Clay to give the green light to battle." Cilan said.

"CILAN!" a voice called. "There you are!"

We turned to see a boy dressed identically to Cilan: white button-up shirt, black vest, black trousers, and brown loafers. He had red eyes and fiery red hair shaped like its adjective.

"Chili?!" Cilan said, standing up.

Chili smiled and made his way over to us.

"Who's Chili?" I said.

"He's my brother." Cilan said. "Chili, what are you doing here?"

"I'm on a journey, traveling and training, just like you!" Chili said.

"What?!"

"But Chili, you're one of the Striaton City Gym leaders." Ash said. "How will the gym be able to handle TWO of its gym leaders being gone?"

Chili scoffed and looked away. "Cress can handle himself..." he said. He turned to Cilan and smiled. "Come on, Cilan, let's have a battle!"

"A battle?" Cilan said. "But-"

"Now, Cilan, don't tell me you've forgotten your goal: to master the arts of a connoisseur."

"Of course I haven't!" Cilan said, scowling from his brother's taunting remark.

"Then have a battle with me!"

Cilan smiled. "Fine. I accept your challenge."

* * *

Iris and Ash stood on the sidelines with Axew, Zorua, and Pikachu. I stepped into the referee space on the field.

"The battle between Chili and Cilan will now begin!" I said. "Since you're both gym leaders, I'm sure you know the rules. One Pokémon per side. The battle is over when one side's Pokémon is unable to battle. Are you ready?"

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Chili cried.

"Okay. Battle begin!"

Chili called out Pansear and Cilan called out Pansage.

"Cilan, you should know better than to use your Pansage against my Pansear, what with its type disadvantage." Chili said.

"Chili, even from our childhood, this has always been the way be battled." Cilan said.

"Fair enough. But you've trained hard as a Pokémon Connoisseur, right? Are you sure you want to stick with the same battle style _FOREVER_?!"

I knew there was something else hidden behind his words. I could feel anger radiating from him like a forest fire. Cilan smirked.

"I suggest you save your comments for later," he said. "for now, we battle!"

Chili growled and sent Pansear into a barrage of attacking Pansage with powerful offense moves: Fire Blast, Flamethrower, Fire Punch, and Flame Charge, but Pansage dodged them and landed his attacks. That only seemed to make Chili even angrier. In the end, Cilan won.

"You fought well, Pansear..." Chili said. When he tried to return Pansear to its PokéBall, it refused. "Pansear, what's wrong?"

Pansear yelled something at Chili.

"Why are you so angry? Are you upset that we lost?"

Pansear agreed with an angry cry.

Chili scoffed. "Well, it's because you missed your Fire Blast when it mattered most... and every other move!"

Pansear fumed and stomped on the ground in a ravenous tantrum.

"Hey, guys, enough!" Ash said. "Stop fighting!"

"Chili, it's YOUR fault." Cilan said. "You shouldn't blame Pansear because you lost."

"Stay out of this! We lost because Pansear blew it!" Chili cried. Pansear blew Flamethrower in Chili's face. After recovering from it, his face grew red. "HOW DARE YOU!"

Pansear ran away, up and over the wall of the arena.

"Pansear, stop!" Cilan called.

"Aw... who needs him?" Chili mumbled. "If Pansear doesn't want to be my Pokémon, then fine."

"Chili, you don't mean that."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Chili turned around and ran away into the Center.

"Your brother sure has a bad temper..." I said. "Shouldn't you go talk to him?"

Cilan put a hand on his hip. "I know my brother well, and if I talk to him now, things will only get worse." he said. "I'm going to go give Cress a call and let Chili cool off for a while."

* * *

"WHAT?!" Cilan cried. "What do you mean, he ran away?"

"I haven't heard from him since he left!" Cress, Cilan's third brother, said from the other line. He had blue eyes and blue hair that draped over his left eye like a waterfall. I assumed from the top half of his body he dressed himself the same as Cilan and Chili. "I've been worried sick!"

"He told me he was on a journey and training." Cilan said.

"Training? I think I know what's bothering him..." Cress said. "Chili was upset because he had lost challenge after challenge. He wanted me to be honest with him, and I was. I tried to help him, but instead I hurt his feelings and he took my advice the wrong way."

"I'm sure Chili just needed some time for his thoughts to be sorted out."

"I sure hope so... You'll look after Chili, right?"

"Of course! That's what brothers do!"

Cilan hung up the call, sighed, and turned to us.

"Let's go see Chili." he said.

"But, Cilan, how do you know where your brother is?" Ash said.

"Well, Chili is my brother, after all." Cilan said. "When he gets angry, there's always one food he can't resist!"

* * *

We found Chili sitting with a large plate of donuts. He had two in his hands and stuffed them into his mouth in a blinding fury. He stopped when he saw us.

"Cilan... hi." he said.

"Cress told me that you ran away from home." Cilan said. "He's worried about you.

"Ha, please!" Chili said. "I bet he's glad I'm gone."

"Chili, that's not true, and you know it!" I said.

"You're acting like such a little kid." Iris said.

"Say WHAT?!" Chili growled.

"Chili, stop." Cilan said. "I speak for both Cress and myself when I say that as brothers, we care about each other! The family bond that connects us is strong, am I wrong?"

Chili looked down at his plate of food shamefully. "No... it's just that I've had so many questions lately... but I'm frustrated because I can't find answers."

"Please, tell me what's troubling you." Cilan said.

Chili looked up at his brother. "Okay..." We sat down across from him. "I know that I lose my temper, and it comes out when I battle. You said that my battling is all about offense, right? Well, Cress said the same thing! I let it get to me... So I went on my own journey. But it got me thinking... maybe what Cress said was right. I want to change my battling style, but I don't know how!"

As he told us this story, I noticed Chili's eyes fixed mainly on me, only breaking away to glance at the others for a moment before returning to me.

"I can help you." Cilan said. "In fact, I'd like to evaluate you and Pansear!"

"Wouldn't you need to find Pansear first?" Iris said. "After all, it did run off."

"Well, if Pansear is anything like Chili, there is an idea of where he could be." I said. "Where there's food, right?"

"Exactly." Chili laughed.

* * *

We found Pansear sitting on a tree branch. He feasted angrily on the berries in the leaves. A pile of cores sat next to him and he chewed ferociously on two freshly picked ones.

"Pansear, I'm really sorry I got mad at you!" Chili called. Pansear growled and threw a berry core at Chili. He jumped out of the way and scowled. "Oh, come on, Pansear! Stop being such a baby!"

"Maybe that's not the way to go." I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Let me try."

I jogged over, rubbed my hands together, and jumped up. I seized the tree with my hands and used my feet to swing back and forth. When my momentum was strong enough, I used it to lift myself up on the tree branch. I sat next to Pansear.

"Hi, Pansear, my name is Rylee." I said. "Why don't you come down with me?"

Pansear crossed his arms and looked away with a pout. "_Why should I? All Chili will do is yell at me!_"

"Now, Pansear. You and Chili have such a strong bond. You're family." I said. "Yes, Chili can have a bad temper and get angry, but let's face it: you can too. Chili really cares about you."

Pansear glanced down at Chili then up at me. He uncrossed his arms and places them in his lap.

"_Really?_" he said.

"Of course! No matter what happens, you and Chili are partners, and as partners, you've got to stick together, even when things get tough." I said. "Chili really is sorry for getting mad at you. Will you please hear him out?"

I reached my hand out to Pansear. He stared at my hand and pondered to himself. He looked up at me, slowly nodding, and took my hand. I pulled him up and he climbed on my shoulder. I jumped down from the tree.

"Pansear's willing to listen." I said.

"That was incredible!" Chili said. He gazed at me in a way I assumed to be wonder, but it still made me uncomfortable. He turned to Pansear. "Pansear, I do feel really bad for getting mad at you. You see, I have a dream that you and I open our own gym. If we want it to happen, we need to improve our battle style. Will you forgive me?"

Pansear stared at Chili. It smiled and jumped into Chili's arms.

"That's a yes." I said.

"You did a good job with talking to Pansear." Cilan said. "Thank you."

"I guess it comes with the Pokémon package." I looked up at him and we smiled at each other.

Suddenly, my mind filled with a huge crash, followed by a massive roll of thunder. I gripped my head and staggered back.

"Are you okay, Rylee?" Ash said.

The noise stopped as quickly as it came. I straightened up. "Um... yeah..." I said.

_What the heck was that?_

* * *

Cilan gave Chili an evaluation and they were a perfect match. He suggested that Pansear learn Solar Beam.

"The first step is to open the door to your heart." Cilan said. We stood in the middle of a park. The clear blue sky reflected the sun's rays and shone down on us. We stood and stretched our arms out into the silence. "Can you hear it? The voices of the grass and trees?"

"I don't hear anything." Chili said.

"Open your heart, and you'll hear it."

I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of the sun absorb into my skin. Each breath plunged me into a deeper relaxation. I felt the world around me disappear.

Only because shortly after, images flashed before my eyes. I saw the ceiling of a building with strings of florescent lights. I felt arms around me and when I looked up, I saw my dad and mom looking at me with smiles on their younger faces.

"_Kids, come and see your baby sister._" mom said.

_Kids? But Alyssa's the only sibling I have..._

Alyssa came over and looked at me. She was only a toddler, maybe two. A wide grin spread across her face, revealing a missing front tooth.

"_Mommy!_" a voice cried.

Mom and Dad turned their heads and gasped. Dad's eyes flared purple and he scowled. Mom held me closer to her body: a form of protection. There was a crash and I heard the sound of crying. My body overflowed with despair and longing, and when I returned to reality, the crying turned out to be from me. I gasped and fell to the ground. My cheeks were already damp with tears. How long had I been crying?

"Rylee, are you alright?" Iris said. She knelt at my side and everyone stood around me.

"Uh... yeah." I said. I stood up and dusted myself off. "I need to go do something. Excuse me."

I turned around and ran towards the Pokémon Center.

* * *

I opened my eyes and found myself in the Cataclysm of Dreams.

_Good, it worked._

I stood up and walked forward.

"Dad!" I called. "We need to talk! Where are you?"

Dad appeared in the darkness and smiled.

"Rylee." he said. "How are you?"

"Things have been kind of crazy." I said. "I've got a question..."

"What is it?"

"Did... did anything unusual happen the night I was born?"

"You mean besides you being born as a Pokémon?" Dad said.

I shook my head. "I don't mean that. I, uh, had a weird vision earlier today, the night I was born. I heard Mom say "children", indicating more than me and Alyssa in the room."

Dad's face fell.

"Also..." I said suspiciously, catching on to his change in appearance. "We had a run-in with Team Rocket. There was a man with white hair and a monocle. He knew who I was because he knows you as well."

Dad's face flushed of color, leaving him as pale as a ghost. He refused to meet my eyes.

"Dad." I said sternly. "You know something, and you're not telling me. What is it?"

Dad looked at me. "I'm sure that you were just hearing and seeing things."

I clenched my fists. "You told me the first time you appeared to me that what I see is the truth! What are you hiding from me?!"

"I... I can't tell you." Dad turned away. "I'm sorry, but you need to go."

"But Dad-!"

A force pushed me back and I went flying in the darkness. Dad disappeared out of view and I was alone in the void.

* * *

I gasped and opened my eyes. I was back in the Pokémon Center, seated in the center of its battlefield.

_He... he kicked me out! I can't believe him!_

I scowled and stood up, dusting the dirt off my capris. I heard footsteps coming my way. I turned to see Chili.

"Oh, hi." I said. "What are you doing here?"

"You kind of took off all of a sudden. You've been gone for a while. I wanted to make sure you were okay." Chili said.

"Thanks. I'm fine. I just needed to talk to someone I know." I said. "How did things go with Pansear?"

"Great, actually! Pansear learned Solar Beam! We fought against Ash and won!"

"That's great! I'm glad things worked out for you."

_If only I could say the same for myself._

"I, um... I wanted to thank you for helping me with Pansear." Chili said, slowly closing the gap between us. "It's like you could totally understand it! It was amazing."

"What can I say? I have a way with Pokémon." I said, smiling at my inside joke.

I noticed Chili kept inching closer to me. He stood right in front of me.

"I just wish there was some way I could repay you..." Chili said.

"Oh, no, it's fine." I said. "I'm just happy I was able to-"

My words stopped short as Chili met his lips with mine. My eyes widened and I pushed myself away.

"What are you doing?!" I cried.

"I... I'm sorry." Chili shrunk back.

"Chili, you're a great guy, but I don't feel that way about you."

I looked away. Chili studied my face.

"But you do feel that way towards Cilan."

My head snapped back towards Chili, my face overwhelmed with flabbergastation.

"What- no! I don't!" I said.

Chili raised his eyebrow. "I know I've only known you for a short amount of time, but that's one thing I can see clearly." he said. "I've seen the way you look at him. The way you interact with each other. There's something special between you two. It's obvious to me that you like Cilan... and since I know my brother so well, it's obvious to me that he feels the same way!"

"You don't know what you're saying!" I cried. I could feel the back of my eyes warming up. "I have to go."

I ran off the battlefield before I Hyper Beamed his face off. I ran around the corner and hid in between two pillars. I slid to the floor and cradled Articuno in my hands.

"Chili, there you are!" I heard Cilan say. "I'm looking for Rylee. Have you seen her?"

"No, sorry." Chili said slowly. "Maybe she'll turn up soon. In the meantime, I think I'm gonna head back to the Striaton Gym. Thanks for helping me, Cilan."

"I'm glad I was able to help!" Cilan said. "Tell Cress I said hello!"

"Right. Goodbye."

I heard footsteps go in the opposite way until they faded away. I burst into tears.

* * *

After sitting behind the pillar sobbing my eyes out, my behind grew to the point of being so numb I forgot I had one. I stood up and headed into the bathroom, spending a good ten minutes rinsing my face with cold water until I stopped looking as if I had face leprosy. I headed down the hallway and into the center, where Ash, Cilan, and Iris sat at a table. I took a deep breath and approached them.

"Rylee, there you are!" Iris said. "Where have you been?"

"I, uh, needed to give someone a call." I said.

"You just missed Chili." Cilan said. "He left to go back to the Striation Gym."

"I'm glad we were able to talk some sense into him." I said. "And we already said our... goodbyes."

Zorua glanced at me. I shook my head a bit, and she received the message and looked away. Nurse Joy came over to us.

"Ash!" she said. "It pleases me to tell you that Clay, the Driftveil City Gym leader, has returned!"

"That's great!" Ash said. "Now I can finally have my gym battle! I'm so excited!"

As we left the Pokémon Center, another crash echoed in my brain, like rocks ramming into each other at full force. I gripped my head, but it went away immediately.

_Another? Well, there was no thunder this time._

Just then, a large thunder crash pounded in my head. My vision was overcome with a neon blue. I felt 200 mph winds blasting through.

_Is there a storm going on in my head or something?! Literally and figuratively?_


End file.
